The Collegian Wednesday, February 1
Features
Behrend Profs Achieve
Publishing Success
by Cindy Craig
Collegian Staff Writer
The University of Alabama,
the University of Colorado, and
dozens of other colleges across
the country have something in
common. All make use of math
books published by Behrend
professors Dr. Roland E. Larson
and Dr. Robert P. Hostetler.
The two have collaborated on
a number of highly acclaimed
math textbooks, one of which
(The Precalculus Series) is
currently being used in all 50
states of the U.S. and in over 500
schools, including those
mentioned above.
The second edition of their
Precalculus Series was just
published this fall. It includes
four texts: Algebra &
Trigonometry, College Algebra,
Precalculus and Trigonometry.
Each text has six supplements:
an instructor's guide, a student
study guide, a complete solutions
guide, a transparency package,
test generating software, and a
student software package.
Except for a break from 1967
to 1970 when he worked on his
doctorate, Hostetler, who earned
his doctorate in teaching, has
taught at Behrend.
Larson came to Behrend in
1970 after graduating form the
University of Colorado with a
doctorate in math. He began
writing manuscripts in 1973. In
1974, he had written several
chapters of a calculus book and
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asked Hostetler to read it. That's
when the initial collaboration
began.
"When I got my degree, I
never thought about writing text
books," said Hostetler.
Their first manuscript was
accepted in 1976 and was later
published in 1979. Despite this
acceptance, there were still
obstacles ahead, according to
Larson.
"Text book writing is really a
tough way to make a living,"
said Larson. " Bob and I got
really lucky. You have to have a
market and be willing to take
suggestions."
Evidently they know how.
Right now their text, Business
Calculus, is the number one best
seller of texts in its' catagory.
Combined sales of all texts since
1979 is over 600,000.
Actual use is very likely,
much greater, when one considers
how many students buy and resell
text books.
Perhaps part of their success
can be attributed to the personal
teaching experiences they have
both had here at Behrend,
specifically, teaching small
classes.
Also contributing to the
success of their texts is the rather
unique emphasis they place on
graphics and figures.
Some of their texts go so far
as to include historical notes on
the development of mathmatical
theories and include drawings of
the mathematician given credit
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Dr. Hostetler and Dr. Larson
for the particular theory.
Most math texts provide
graphs and figures, but Larson
and Hostetler definitly go out of
their way to provide extensive
graphic explinations of concepts
presented within their books.
Currently, seven
Larson/Hostetler texts are being
used at Behrend. Hostetler says,
"one thing about using your own
text, it's nice, but it also presents
a little bit of a problem, because
it often states (the lesson) the
way (I) want to say it in the
classroom."
Being forced to restate facts
in a different perspective "forces
you to come up with new ideas,"
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which eventually end up in a
revised text.
"The texts have made us
better teachers, as well as, being
teachers has made us better text
book writers. It's a very
complementary type of activity."
Hostetler currently teaches
two classes and is in charge of
math majors and is the
mathematics faculty coordinator.
He is also doing the initial
leg work for next springs'
project, which will be a three-text
Larson/Hostetler algebra series.
It will include: Elementary
Algebra, Intermediate Algebra,
and College Algebra with
Applications.
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Larson is currently on
sabbatical, but will be returning
to the classroom in the fall. He
is currently working on at least
two projects. One, with
Hostetler, will be out in about a
year. It's the fourth edition of
Calculus.
The other project is Finite
Mathematics which will cover in
more depth sets in logic, scats,
probability and in general, topics
that don't get covered in calculus
and algebra. He is also traveling
and attending various math
meetings on state, regional and
national levels, both promoting
texts and seeking new ideas for
other projects.
may be