Has anyone used DeMana et al Precalculus from Pearson? Opinions? Regular or advanced?

Copied from their announcement on Facebook two hours ago. "Our Calculus course has been approved as an AP Calculus BC course! This is an official recognition by The College Board that our Calculus course meets or exceeds the expectations colleges and universities have for this subject, and grants students permission to use the "AP" designation for our Calculus course if it's listed on their transcript. However, do note that AP exam preparation still won't be the primary focus of our Calculus course. Students planning to take the AP Calculus BC exam after completing our course will also need to arrange to take it at their school or another nearby brick-and-mortar school – you can learn more about how to register for AP exams on the College Board's website" It is also stated on their course page https://artofproblemsolving.com/school/course/calculus ETA: Received an email from student services to say the June 2016 class is included as well in the approval.

I just recently purchase a copy of Jacobs elementary algebra for DD13 because I had read that because it is so incremental it eliminates the need for a pre algebra program. My oldest DD has not until just this past year ever talked of learning calculus, but after reading on coolmath.com she thinks it looks like fun. So, is there a calculus book that moves incrementally enough that I wouldn't need to purchase a pre calc book? Thanks for your suggestions! :bigear:

"We’re excited to announce updates to the AP Calculus AB and BC courses and exams, taking effect in the 2016-17 school year. ... What AP Calculus students should know and be able to do will be more clearly defined, in the enduring understandings, learning objectives, and essential knowledge statements outlined in the curriculum framework in the AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC Course and Exam Description, Effective Fall 2016 (.pdf/5.92MB). The updated courses will place an increased emphasis on conceptual understanding through the Mathematical Practices for AP Calculus (MPACs): reasoning with definitions and theorems, connecting concepts, implementing algebraic/computational processes, connecting multiple representations, building notational fluency, and communicating. Each concept and learning objective that will be addressed in the updated courses can be linked to one or more of these MPACs. No topics will be removed from the AP Calculus program, and the following topics will be added:L’Hospital’s Rule will be included in AP Calculus AB. The limit comparison test, absolute and conditional convergence, and the alternating series error bound will be added to AP Calculus BC." More details and sample on webpage https://advancesinap.collegeboard.org/stem/calculus

I'm looking over options for home schooling calculus. We'd like something for 11th grade and DS would like to take the AP Calculus BC test. He finds AoPS frustrating (likes an explanation first then problems rather than trying them first as in AoPS), yet doesn't want something that's just a drill of exercises. So we're somewhere in the middle: a little beyond the minimum for the AP Calculus BC test, but not much. (FYI, I can answer questions if DS has them, but he prefers using a text.) In looking over a number of texts and reading the pinned High School Math thread on the WTM board, I'm considering Paul Foerster's Calculus and bought the text, although I'm by no means set. Here are my thoughts on some of the texts listed on the pinned thread: Anton, Davies and Bivens: This looks like a possible alternative Apostol: Too challenging given DS background in proofs and maybe too proofs focused for DS interest AoPS: Too challenging/frustrating although the text looks elegant to me when I took a quick look Larson and Edwards, Calculus of a Single Variable: Seems too calculation focused. MIT Open Courseware: Looks like a possibility but DS prefers a book rather than lecture focus Saxon: Only through AB and probably too mundane for DS. Spivak: Too challenging and too proofs focused for DS interest Stewart: Seems a bit dry and with problems too heavily physical science and engineering focused (we like more variety). I may be off the mark on some of these comments by looking at an earlier version of a text, looking at unusual problems, etc. BTW, I have several older calculus books lying around. Although it's not necessary for us to get an AP-approved syllabus, we want to be sure to cover what's needed for the test (and be aware where we're covering topics not on the test). There's a list of reviewed texts at the College Board website, and Foerster is not on it. (Actually, of the list on the pinned thread, only Anton, Larson, and Stewart are on it, but most, if not all, would basically work.) Has anyone used Foerster's Calculus basically for self-teaching? Anton? The MIT Open Courseware? Any other recommendations? Thanks!! ETA: There are upcoming apparently modest changes for AP Calculus starting with the 2016-17 school year, as described in this WTM thread linked here.

Free 180 page report in PDF link on webpage http://www.maa.org/programs/faculty-and-departments/curriculum-development-resources/national-studies-college-calculus Interesting for parents thinking of DE. Also data on AP Calc AB and Calc BC kids survival in Calc 1.