calculus sample calculus for cats amdahl math mathematics mathematician math class algebra calculus

ACalculus for Cats

Introduction

Most calculus books resemble an ambitious Tolstoy novel in size and weight, but contain very few actual words: it only takes about two hours to read one from cover to cover if you only read the verbal explanations and skip all the exercises, symbols, proofs, and sample problems. Unfortunately, should you decide to read one that way, you probably won’t gain much of an understanding about calculus, because all those examples and exercises are their primary method of conveying the subject.

This book is different. Despite its small size, it contains more words to explain the basic ideas, but no exercises at all. Its purpose is not to replace your Required Calculus Text Book, but to augment the explanations of concepts covered in class. You can read this book without any prior understanding of the subject and come away with a sense of what calculus is, why it’s powerful, and when and how to use it. You will not become an expert at the subject – that’s not our goal. Calculus for Cats is, in the purest sense of the word, an introduction.

It provides an easy overview of the subject for people who never took calculus and want to broaden their horizons, as well as for people who are considering taking a calculus class but are frightened and intimidated by the name alone. Math majors may enjoy the book and find it useful, but we hope English Literature majors will as well. Some poetry instructors feel that it is crucial to understand iambic pentameter before reading a sonnet. Our favorite poetry instructors first let their students experience the power of a great poem, whether it’s Shakespeare, or Donne, or the latest popular singer. Once a student feels that power, they’re hooked and willingly master the mechanical aspects.

We don’t claim to be Shakespeares. But we do think the beauty and power of calculus speaks for itself when stripped of its more technical underpinnings. We hope that our simple and sometimes silly explanations don’t insult those who understand the beauty that lies beneath the surface. With luck, our less-intimidating format may prepare some students to appreciate that beauty as it unfolds in class.

Math instructors may have to fight down a sense of indignation from time to time as we skip the proofs of why things work, or ignore the logical steps that lead up to certain techniques, and they may cringe at our apparently casual use of terms that have not been rigorously defined. It’s not that we don’t respect rigor, precision, and comprehensiveness; they just don’t describe our mission here. Many excellent calculus text books already address those issues, and provide dozens of examples and exercises. You just can’t read them without an instructor to translate them for you.

The goal of this book is to provide additional explanations of concepts. If you think of calculus as a foreign language, this book won’t prepare you for a career as a professional translator. It’s more a tourist guide book of useful phrases.

Introduction

Approximately four thousand years ago, aliens invaded Earth and began implementing a diabolical plan to enslave humanity, to force us to build their homes, provide them the most expensive and exotic foods, tend their every whim and most trivial wish, regardless of the inconvenience, while they lounged in splendor and did nothing.

These aliens have come to be known as “cats.”

The conquest proved simple. Although the creatures lacked opposable thumbs, were inferior in size and had limited capabilities for speech, they had one overwhelmingly superior ability.

They understood calculus.

And humans did not.

Since then, the beasts have employed their considerable cunning to prevent their unwitting subjects from discovering this secret. A few humans have caught on, of course, and have actually learned to use calculus. The aliens have systematically cut these odd ones from the herd and forced them to spend their lives in isolated pens (which are often located in university math departments or cubicles deep within huge corporations). To prevent them from becoming rebellious, they are kept content with huge salaries, extravagant homes and attractive spouses. But the cats watch them carefully.

Occasionally, one of these humans will feel the urge to share the secrets, perhaps even write a book.
When this happens, the cats hypnotize the would-be rebel into writing a vague and confusing book filled with incomprehensible diagrams, bizarre symbols, and language adapted from an obscure Mayan dialect. When confronted with such a volume, most humans simply close the book, choose a new career path, and warm some milk for their sweet little tabby. The aliens win again.

The plan has been wildly successful and the proof is obvious: Cats rule the world and very few humans understand calculus.

But now their evil plot has begun to unravel. The brave authors of this book have determined to resist the conquering aliens. We have surrounded ourselves with Dobermans and are prepared to expose this mystery to the world.

Wait! We know what you’re thinking.

But before you decide that calculus is beyond you, consider this: if cats can learn it, so can you.

clearwater publishing company publishes Kenn Amdahl books in Colorado. Clearwater Publishing Company publishes educational fun books. Books include There Are No Electrons Electronics <span class="style8">for Earthlings, Algebra Unplugged, Calculus for Cats, Joy Writing: Discover and Develop your Creative Voice, The Land of Debris and the Home of Alfredo. Clearwater also publishes The Barefoot Fisherman: a fishing book for kids by Paul Amdahl. and Economics for the Impatient by C.A. Turner. Our books are about science, math, creative writing algebra, calculus s, economics, fishing, kids, parenting, education. Curriculums like them, and so do home schoolers. Joy of Writing and The Joy of Writing are not our books, but Joy Writing is. Kenn Amdahl is president. He's a songwriter and author in Broomfield Colorado. Electronics, teaching electricity, teaching math, especially alebra and calculus and creative writing. SAT, LSAT, and other test takers may like these books. They are like books for dummies, algebra for dummies, algebra unplugged, math book. kenn amdahl jim loats calculus for dummies, creative writing for dummies, fishing for dummies, parenting for dummies . Or Algebra for Idiots, Calculus for Idiots, Creative Writing for Dummies. Memoir writing or memoir writers may find Joy Writing useful, although it is not The Joy of Writing or the Joy of Sex or the joy of writing sex or the Joy of Algebra for that matter. They are not chicken soup for the writers soul, or algebra for the writers soul, or calculus for the writers soul. They are not strictly speaking Christian or religious or spiritual, but those folks are welcome. Jesus would not disapprove of these books. Jesus might like them. The Rapture of Writing might be a good title. Self-publishers read our books, Dan Poynter is recommended. Top ten bestsellers not on the list. New York Times Bestsellers are loved here. DaVinci Code or Harry Potter fans welcome. Obviously I'm practicing my writing on this web area that you should not be able to see because I need to make thisalgebra unplugged, math book. kenn amdahl jim loatsclearwater publishing company publishes Kenn Amdahl books in Colorado. Clearwater Publishing Company publishes educational fun books. Books include There Are No Electrons Electronics <span class="style8">for Earthlings, Algebra Unplugged, Calculus for Cats, Joy Writing: Discover and Develop your Creative Voice, The Land of Debris and the Home of Alfredo. Clearwater also publishes The Barefoot Fisherman: a fishing book for kids by Paul Amdahl. and Economics for the Impatient by C.A. Turner. Our books are about science, math, creative writingg algebra, calculus s, economics, fishing, kids, parenting, education. Curriculums like them, and so do home schoolers. Joy of Writing and The Joy of Writing are not our books, but Joy Writing is. Kenn Amdahl is president. He's a songwriter and author in Broomfield Colorado. Electronics, teaching electricity, teaching math, especially alebra and calculus and creative writing. SAT, LSAT, and other test takers may like these books. They are like books for dummies, algebra for dummies, calculus for dummies, creative writing for dummies, fishing for dummies, parenting for dummies . Or Algebra for Idiots, Calculus for Idiots, Creative Writing for Dummies. Memoir writing or memoir writers may find Joy Writing useful, although it is not The Joy of Writing or the Joy of Sex or the Joy of Algebra for that matter. They are not chicken soup for the writers soul, or algebra for the writers soul, or calculus for the writers soul. They are not strictly speaking Christian or religious or spiritual, but those folks are welcome. Jesus would not disapprove of these books. Jesus might like them. The Rapture of Writing might be a good title. Self-publishers read our books, Dan Poynter is recommended. Top ten bestsellers not on the list. New York Times Bestsellers are loved here. DaVinci Code or Harry Potter fans welcome. Obviously I'm practicing my writing on this web area that you should not be able to see because I need to make this square bigger and have not learned how yet except to type in words, poetry, prose, language, steinbeck type stuff, No Child Left Behind, that's my motto. Naked books, with no girls gone wild, no bikini models no first amendment problems. Sorry, no Jill, no wagner. no amateur index ladies or lightspeed girls or coeds or women. Just books about electricity, like Tesla or Edison might write, books about Algebra like Aristotle might write. Calculus books like Garfield the cat might write. Cat stuff, feline stuff, study guide type raw material. Books for girls who like to read and boys who know how to. Teach yourself math, science, fishing, in clear water or clearwater economics creative writing and poetry. Sing a song. Release a CD Write a book and self publish it. Groups we like include Book Organizations of Colorado, Colorado Independent Publishers Association CIPA Colorado Authors League Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Pikes Peak Writers Aspen Writers Mountains and Plains Booksellers Independent Booksellers SPAN Small Press Association of North America Publishers Association of the WEst Colorado Library Association Last Note Singers Cottonwood the music group. Edward Ormondroyd and George Garrett gave blurbs to our books </span></div>
square bigger and have not learned how yet except to type in words, poetry, prose, language, steinbeck type stuff, No Child Left Behind, that's my motto. Naked books, with no girls gone wild, no bikini models no first amendment problems. no amateur index ladies or lightspeed girls or coeds or women. Just books about electricity, like Tesla or Edison might write, books about Algebra like Aristotle might write. Calculus books like Garfield the cat might write. Cat stuff, feline stuff, study guide type raw material. Books for girls who like to read and boys who know how to. Teach yourself math, science, fishing, in clear water or clearwater economics creative writing and poetry. Sing a song. Release a CD Write a book and self publish it. Groups we like include Book Organizations of Colorado, Colorado Independent Publishers Association CIPA Colorado Authors League Rocky Mountain Fiction Wri</span><span class="style11">ters Pikes Peak Writers Aspen Writers Mountains and Plains Booksellers Independent Booksellers SPAN Small Press Association of North America Publishers Association of the WEst Colorado Library Association Last Note Singers Cottonwood the music group. Jill Wagner is the actress in the Mercury Mariner TV commercial. Jill Wagner will become a big star and people will google her. That's Jill Wagner, mercuryvehicles.com, TV actress. She's in Vancouver filming a movie.Edward Ormondroyd and George Garrett gave blurbs to our books </span></div>

Stores that carry our titles

Buying direct

extra stuff