Re:Notes on Discrete Mathematics [pdf]
by JadeNB on Monday February 17, 2014 @06:49PM
(#7255312)
> Students complain about perfectly fine texts all the time.
That is true, but JoshGlazebrook didn't say "Rosen's book is terrible", but rather "Will give this a read through to see if it explains better than Rosen". It is certainly a fair thing for him to struggle personally with the explanations in a textbook, no matter how good it is; and turning this constructive comment into occasion for a personal attack / judgement is, I think, unnecessary and unconstructive. By contrast, chris_wot's comment downthread (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7247572), asking what is unsatisfactory, seems far more likely to generate productive discourse.
(For what it's worth, I am using Rosen this semester, and find it roughly middle of the road; I like it, but can understand that it might not be for everyone.)
That is true, but JoshGlazebrook didn't say "Rosen's book is terrible", but rather "Will give this a read through to see if it explains better than Rosen". It is certainly a fair thing for him to struggle personally with the explanations in a textbook, no matter how good it is; and turning this constructive comment into occasion for a personal attack / judgement is, I think, unnecessary and unconstructive. By contrast, chris_wot's comment downthread (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7247572), asking what is unsatisfactory, seems far more likely to generate productive discourse.
(For what it's worth, I am using Rosen this semester, and find it roughly middle of the road; I like it, but can understand that it might not be for everyone.)