Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

FDL Math Textbooks?

Posted by Cliff on from the finding-a-better-textbook dept.

PyTHON71 asks: "I'm working through Schaum's Outlines of College Algebra. So far, in chapter 17 (conic sections), I've found 6 errors! Since I can spot them and correct them, I'm not worried about myself. But without math, you can't hack, and if young hackers are getting hung up on stupid math mistakes made by textbook authors... well, it's obviously a case for FDL textbooks. Are any textbooks being produced under the FDL?"

4 of 45 comments (clear)

  1. fp! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    link

  2. If you think math textbooks are bad... by mstorer3772 · · Score: 5, Informative

    ...Try k-6 science books. YOW!

    A guy by the name of Bill Beaty maintains a giant time-sucking vortex of a web page:

    http://www.amasci.com

    A portion of the site is devoted to correcting common misconceptions found in science textbooks, and about how these misconceptions hamper later learning:

    http://amasci.com/miscon/miscon.html

    --
    Fooz Meister
  3. Re:Now you know how lay people feel around by aridhol · · Score: 2, Informative

    FDL is the GNU Free Documentation License. Although other similar licenses would be just as helpful.

    --
    I can't say that I don't give a fuck. I've just run out of fuck to give.
  4. Just go to the publisher's website for info... by Hollinger · · Score: 2, Informative
    After a particularly bad book,
    • Electric Circuits
    by Nilsson, IIRC, where they forgot to include the appendix with the answers, I've made it a habit to check the publisher's website for corrections and errata. For that matter, you sometimes get useful things like more sample problems.
    --
    Michael C. Hollinger