This is one of the best calculus textbooks ever written, with the most intuitive examples and illustration of any text out there. It is #2 in all the courses we survey, and in the top 3 of Library purchases for books with 1,200 pages or more. That said:1. Make SURE you get the 7th edition, it is heavily revised.2. Many of the reviews trash talking this book (it IS a five star text!) are due to purchasers not knowing what "hybrid" means. THE PAPERBACK VERSION OF THIS BOOK IS DIFFERENT! A "hybrid" is a class that combines online with brick and mortar class attendance, and some publishers are now creating "hybrid" texts with some material integrated with the online LMS (learning management system of the school or teacher) and the text. NEVER BUY a HYBRID TEXT if you are not taking a class!3. Some folks saw the price of this book, then bought the "paperback" at far less, from a third party on Amazon. THIS IS A BIG MISTAKE! If you get a hybrid book, and the third party is honest and says you don't get access codes, you'll be missing half the book in this case! Worse, if the book says "hybrid" you MUST get a second access code from the teacher who is giving the class-- DO NOT BUY a hybrid for self study!!Sadly, the circus around this text is limiting the great value of the HARD COVER, COMPLETE text for self study. It is one of the best there is in gentle examples of derivative applications, even in multivariate and ODE forms. It's target is those who didn't do particularly well in HS calc, or never had any including limits, or are rusty, so please evaluate it on its own merits, not the mistaken hybrid reviews.BTW Amazon is NOT ripping anyone off with this-- you just need to understand that hybrid MEANS incomplete! In many cases you can save money with a used paperback, but NOT HERE!!Library Picks reviews only for the benefit of Amazon shoppers and has nothing to do with Amazon, the authors, manufacturers or publishers of the items we review. We always buy the items we review for the sake of objectivity, and although we search for gems, are not shy about trashing an item if it's a waste of time or money for Amazon shoppers. If the reviewer identifies herself, her job or her field, it is only as a point of reference to help you gauge the background and any biases.