Book excerpt: A step-by-step guide to calculus featuring practice questions and exercises to help people improve their understanding of the mathematical study of change. First published in 1945, this edition of J. E. Thompson’s Calculus for the Practical Man is the ideal simple guide for those who are studying physics or mathematical courses at university, or for those who wish to brush up on the calculus they learnt while in higher education. Each chapter features illustrated examples of solved problems, and there are practice exercises for the reader to try at the end of each section. The contents of this volume includes: - Fundamental Ideas. Rates and Differentials - Functions and Derivatives - Differentials of Algebraic Functions - Use of Rates and Differentials in Solving Problems - Differentials of Trigonometric Functions - Velocity, Acceleration and Derivatives - Interpretation of Functions and Derivatives by Means of Graphs - Maximum and Minimum Values - Problems in Maxima and Minima - Differentials of Logarithmic and Exponential Functions