<p>I'm seeing that a lot of people stand by this product here in CC, but I suspect, though I admit have no actual way of knowing, that all of the positive reviews of it on amazon are those of his students. I'm a rising junior and need to work on my math SAT scores, so I'm just looking for a consolidated opinion on the effectiveness of this book before I shell out 28 bucks for it. Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>It’s a really great book, with fantastic tips. It does a good job of simplifying even the most difficult problems to a point where you can solve them in <30 seconds. Furthermore, the 20 practice tests in the second half of the book are an invaluable resource for anyone aspiring to achieve an 800.</p>
<p>All in all, Dr. Chung’s has been the best SAT math prep book that I’ve ever used.</p>
<p>I agree with the above. Even if you dont feel like you get anything out of the tips, the 20 practice tests are a great resource.</p>
<p>I was wondering about this too but ehhh idk. Just all of sudden people started to talk about it you know, still seems sketchy to me</p>
<p>^It seems as though your skepticism could hold you back. If you continue to doubt the validity of this book (and other great resources), you won’t be able to benefit from it.</p>
<p>Take my word for it: It’s a phenomenal book that will increase your score if you work hard.</p>
<p>Alright alright, cuz i really need a math workbook. So is it available in barnes and noble?</p>
<p>And how many pages is the book? Is it thick? I got two months left so idk if I will be able to go through all of it in time? Would I be able to?</p>
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<p>StudiousMaximus, could you share how long you have owned this book, and how much you have used it? What are your comparison points?</p>
<p>From your previous posts, you seem to have purchased it less than two weeks ago. The very few examples discussed in this forum indicate that the explanations are vague and the book marred by typos. The tests, as most in the genre, are probably ranging from mediocre to worthless.</p>
<p>Great content as far as the actual MATH goes, although the book is full of poor explanations that will confuse almost anyone who doesn’t understand a problem at first.</p>
<p>@Hossain: I think it’s 600+ pages. You can check Amazon to verify.</p>
<p>@xiggi: Although I’ve only had it for a short time, I’ve already been through most of it. After going through most of the tips, I went back to around 5 of my previous tests to see if I could solve the problems I’d missed earlier. So far, I’ve been able to solve almost every one (all but one) of those previously missed problems with the skills this book has equipped me with. While it’s not perfect, it’s certainly seems to be a valuable resource judging from my improved problem solving ability. </p>
<p>I didn’t mention the errors present in the book because they haven’t hindered my ability to comprehend the problems and explanations. I definitely can see why they could confuse some people, though.</p>
<p>I understand that you are skeptical regarding my strong advocacy for the book after just a few weeks with it. Honestly, the tips have really helped to clarify and simplify the SAT Math section for me. Others might not feel the same way, but it’s definitely aided me so much already.</p>
<p>I’ll update you with my math score after the SAT I take in the spring. My last score was a 690, and I’m hoping to improve to a 750+.</p>
<p>Xiggi, have you used the book? If not, you shouldn’t be so quick to assume that the tests are ‘mediocre to worthless’. </p>
<p>PS: The book contains the ‘Xiggi Equation’ haha ((2<em>speed1</em>speed2)/(speed 1 + speed 2)).</p>
<p>Can we get a third opinion, anyone?</p>
<p>Got it off Amazon. Now it’s delivered. I was skeptical about this book because of the positive reviews ALL BY CHINESE/ASIAN people… Also the fact that it only came a little while ago in CC…</p>
<p>I just got it, so I will write a review on Amazon (the TRUTHFUL review) and also here. </p>
<p>Anyone who has this book, can anyone show me the typos, or ways to use this book?</p>
<p>I also have the blue book, so I can see my improvements.</p>
<p>alright! finally!! can u post back on this thread when you post ur review on amazon i gotta read it</p>
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<p>I have indeed checked the book, and it is one of the very rare books I have returned. </p>
<p>Is it a horrible purchase at 28 dollars? No, it is not. But the same can be said about dozens of books. At about fifty cents a tip, it is not unreasonably expensive. If it helps someone to understand two or three concepts, that is worth the 28 dollars. What are the 20 tests worth? Simply stated … less than nothing as those tests should be ignored. </p>
<p>Is this book better than most? Absolutely NOT. It is just one more example of a book that misses the mark by a fair margin by introducing tons of confusing elements.</p>
<p>Would I recommend it to anyone? Nope! There are enough “real” and “truthful” recommendations on Amazon.</p>
<p>Xiggi would u recommend Grubers to someone scoring low 600s? Btw ur name sounds awfully familiar lol</p>
<p>This book wasn’t cheap… $30 dollars (with tax)… I am a low income student, so that was a steep price. I won’t be buying too much stuff now since I got this. I hope it pays off.</p>
<p>Gary Gruber has written a source book that remains one of the best available. However, one needs to understand the limitations of source books as they provide references to concepts that might be tested on the SAT. They are not meant to be “studied” or read cover-to-cover.</p>
<p>You cannot go wrong by buying Gruber’s books.</p>
<p>I disagree with xiggi on Gruber. It has one of the most useless SAT math concepts I have seen. If you get 600+ it is useless. All I have seen is them teaching you 8th grade things.</p>
<p>However without teaching, they have no problem giving out INSANELY HARD practice tests. Which make you sit their clueless on how to answer the questions.</p>
<p>However, I just got Dr Chung, so I will see how useful it is.</p>
<p>Xiggi, as you are an SAT guru of sorts, your opinion is worth quite a bit more than mine. But, to put it simply, Dr. Chung’s has really helped me with the SAT Math section. It does include some useless concepts, but so do most other prep books. On the other hand, many of the tips are extremely useful and the questions within those tips appear frequently on the SAT (or at least the 7 or so tests I’ve taken).</p>
<p>If anything, Chung’s helps you to think more abstractly and approach problems with more confidence. It’s definitely not perfect, but, as I mentioned before, it seems to be a valuable resource. We’ll see just how valuable come spring when I take the official SAT.</p>
<p>EDIT: Oh, I have one more thing to add. You are certainly right that Chung’s isn’t the best book to use for the SAT Math section AS A WHOLE. But for people like me, who only miss level 5 questions (and the occasional 4), it looks like it is a great book. While it may over-prepare one significantly, I feel it will help one anticipate and have confidence while solving the tricky level 5 questions.</p>
<p>So someone didn’t steal it/it didn’t get lost in the mail? That’s good.</p>