Linear Algebra For Dummies

I'm amazed at the low reviews some people have posted of this book. I have had an interest in self-studying linear algebra for years but have had a lot of trouble getting comfortable with it. I tried Khan Academy's videos and found them great, but still didn't feel comfortable with the material. I tried MIT's course but stopped watching it because it moved a little too quickly for me (or felt too dry; I don't remember, it was years ago). I bought a few different books and started them, but gave up after spending a few weeks making only a page or two of progress per day (also the writing style was very dry / formal). I'm not saying the MIT course and other books were bad, I'm just saying they probably weren't the best resource for a total beginner who is doing self-study.I love the Dummies / Complete Idiot's Guide books. I have used Dummies books to get intros to C, C++, Java, Calculus, Bridge (the card game), and probably other things I can't remember. I like the clear organization, I like the focus on writing in plain-English, I like the examples, I like the attempts at humor (even when it falls flat I appreciate the attempt), I like the feeling of accomplishment I get when I finish each ~20-page chapter, I like the feeling of accomplishment that I get when I finish the books.If you're serious about trying to self-study linear algebra I recommend that you get all the books with top ratings on Amazon and then hop between them depending on which one you feel most comfortable with. You should probably start with the easier-looking ones (ie this one, the Manga one, the Straum one). I also recommend you check out Khan Academy, Andrew Ng's Machine Learning Coursera course, and the Brown University course "Coding the Matrix". I personally find it easier to watch video lectures first as a first-pass at the material and a way to get interested and motivated, and then make an attempt at the books afterwards.

__Mary Jane Sterling's text is just what a Dummies book should be. Every word, line, and paragraph is eminently understandable. In the first four chapters, I have found one typographical error, minor, easily spotted and corrected. Mary Jane doesn't have the flair for humor that other Dummies and Idiot's authors have, but I would give her a pass on that issue. Linear Algebra is going to be more challenging in the coming chapters and that is why we buy the Dummies books. This text appears to be an excellent platform for more demanding work in the future. This one," Linear Algebra for Dummies," is a keeper.

I had taken Linear Algebra in college over 50 years ago. However, there were a few topics in the course that I did not understand very well back then - like basis, span, and vector spaces. I now understand spans much better and am still studying up on the other topics that gave me problems. It's a good book overall that I recommend to others.

Albert Einstein is credited with saying, “If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't understand it yourself.” The authors of the "for dummies" series understand it. Without exception, I have very much appreciated and benefited from simple and clear explanations of what each method is. Math is by far the most poorly taught subject, this series is a notable exception.

I have just finished this. I bought it as a refresher, as I had basically not done any linear algebra since first year university subjects 35 years ago. For dusting off cobwebs on the major topics of linear algebra, matrices, it was useful, easy to read and clear. I also wanted an intro to vector spaces as I have this hankering, even at my age, to take on some abstract algebra, and needed to get a handle on the basics. So, as I said, useful.However, the book - as various other reviewers have said - has far too many errors. This is a serious flaw in any work, but is critically harmful in a volume for dummies. Because obviously, we don't know enough often to pick them up so end up learning the wrong things. Fortunately my cobwebs dusted off sufficiently for me to pick up the ones I saw. But being a dummy, how do I know now what other things I have absorbed that are in fact wrong? This is a very worrying situation. It is not good enough.

Excellent overview of key topics, easy enough for beginners — quick work as a review of topics not seen for some time.Wish DE’s version was this good (buy workbook for DE’s if needed)

I found this book very helpful for putting the abstract language of linear algebra into laymen's terms. I now read it in conjunction with my regular linear algebra textbook. I wish I had bought the book at the beginning of the semester, rather than halfway through, which by that time, I'd dug myself a rather deep hole. My only complaint is that it isn't quite as exhaustive on terminology as maybe it could/should be. That said, it's been a very helpful book, and it might, just might, get me through the class with a C.

First, there is an errata sheet at the Dummies website for the book if you're concerned about the reported typos. However, in the Linear Algebra printing of the book I received in 2014 all of the typos had been corrected.I found this book extremely helpful so I could better understand what my textbook was trying to explain!