Cracking the GRE Mathematics Subject Test, 4th Edition

First of all, let's establish what this book is. It is a guide for someone preparing for the GRE mathematics subject test. This is NOT a guide for someone preparing for the math portion of the general GRE exam. Therefore, if you... 1. Do not know the difference between GRE subject exams and the general GRE exam 2. Plan to go to grad school for something that does not require complex math 3. Don't really like math 4. Have never been been called a math nerd 5. Have never taken delight in being called a math nerd 6. Were popular in high school ...then this is probably not the book you are looking for. In that case, you probably should be looking for one of the many available guides to the math portion of the general GRE exam. If that is you, do not buy this book, but if you do happen to accidentally buy this book, PLEASE do not rate this book on Amazon or elsewhere. I'm not going to bash prep books for the general GRE exam for not adequately preparing me for the GRE mathematics subject exam, so please do not bash this book for not properly preparing you for the general GRE exam. Not only is it unfair to the Princeton Review and people considering this book, you'll make yourself look really dumb. To echo Michael Scott's advice to Dwight Schrute, don't be an idiot. If, however, the six things I mentioned above do not apply to you (as they do not to me), then this probably is the book you want. There are criticisms one could make of this book. However, because this seems to be the only book of its kind and because it is relatively cheap, there really is no reason not to buy this book if you are preparing for the GRE mathematics subject test. If you are someone who didn't major in math like me---I majored in engineering, I think this book is especially helpful since it exposes you to areas of math that you might have missed as a non-math major. The book isn't as comprehensive as it could be, but I do think it is a fairly effective while managing to be succinct. It should at least alert you to what particular math skills you need to improve on before taking the test. From there, you can find resources on the web or buy inexpensive math books that expand on the particular skill. But this book itself is a dense source of examples of how to answer questions like those that appear on the GRE subject test. (I've taken the test once already when I was considering grad school but ending up not applying. I was fairly happy with my score, but I hope to do better this time as I am again intending to apply to grad school. I didn't have this book the first time I took it.) In short, if you are going to take the mathematics subject test, this book is something you should buy as part of your preparation.

Great for anyone looking to get a PhD in Mathematics. I majored in mathematics at a small university, and was fearful I wouldn't do well in the Math Subject GRE because of the small department I came from. This book offers great examples and helps to expand your knowledge and refresh your memory before the test. The Math Subject GRE may seem daunting and at times impossible to study for, but GET THIS BOOK, as well as other study materials, and you will do great! Pros: Great Examples Excellent Refresher Cons: Not Enough, Study other things as well

To be honest, it's pretty good. My main two issues are 1) There are too many typos (about 6-7 that I count, but that's too much for a big publishing company). By typos, I mean things from having an equation or definition wrong to having the wrong answers in the back of the text. 2) It definitely does NOT cover ALL the material you need. If you REALLY want to get everything, you've either needed to have books from the topic (i.e. a Linear Algebra textbook) or need your notes from the class. Otherwise, you may miss some stuff. Not much, but stuff. Otherwise, as I said, it's good. It explains well and as a Math Major I approve of explanations provided. Just wish the above two issues could somehow have been addressed.

I bought this book for review of college math. It is what I wanted. Its explanations are not too long or not too short. There are enough questions with solutions.

This book is best used as a guide of what to study. It's really great that all of the problems have worked out solutions and explanations where necessary, but in general, the difficulty level on the GRE is way higher. The disadvantage of practice books like this is that they explain specific concepts individually, while the actual exam often has problems that require many concepts to solve--especially quickly. I would recommend this book if you're looking for a thorough review of calculus and differential equations. There's like 100+ calc/diff-eq questions. The algebra/linear algebra sections aren't bad, but the statistics and abstract chapters are pretty bare-bones. I've always been so bad at 'possible outcomes' problems, and this did help me practice and remember the basic operations and rules for those.

Great review of math from pre-calculus through real analysis and beyond. There are detailed solutions to each problem and there are example problems in each chapter. A must have for preparing for a comprehensive math test!

I started studying just a month before the test, so I didn’t do my best. But this helped me do better than a lot of my friends. Study this for a year, try to take the test right after you’ve completed the calculus sequence.

I have been using this book since it was first published to help others prepare for the GRE Math Subject Test. The author not only knows mathematics, but he also understands the big ideas underlying mathematics. His crystal clear topical reviews and challenging problems are just what a student or instructor needs to stay on track or the exam.

I receive it just a few days after i bought it online. The content is very useful for student preparing GRE math sub. Nearly covered everything.

Concise , with exercises that review the most important concepts. Pleasurable text to read and cruise through. Exercises and examples are meaningful.

No other book in the market that gives the syllabus to its entire extent. ETS guidelines are almost ambiguous and they give just 1 question paper officially. So this book helps with at least getting to know what topics you need to study for the GRE math exam. Plus a test paper so you're almost all good. Focus on your college courses of Linear, Calculus and Group theory and you'll be fine. Get this book too.

Don't listen to what your advisor is telling you, you NEED to study for the GRE since the very moment you became aware of the existence of such Test... This book will guide you through the darkness, but it is just a guide, you need to become a real expert of the basics, Don't commit the same mistakes your predecessors made, don't be lazy, and work every single problem in this book.

Good review. Only advice is... if you're not a math major.... good idea to start this at least two months before...Topology was hard :'(