This book mixes the brevity of Schaum's Outlines with the incomprehensibility of The Tao of Pooh. The author copies, sometimes, directly from either Schaum's or Arfkin. There is nothing noteworthy in this book and your money is better spent buying the original books, i.e. Schaum's. I am supprised that Cambridge University Press would publish this and not fear the litigation from more respectable authors who Chow copied this from. If you wrote a Schaum's or any Math Methods book please check for plagairism, it is there. If you are a Prof. thinking of assigning this book, Don't. And if you are a student who is required to buy this book, use the original Schaum's Outlines!