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I have no problem with Elements of Algebra simply because of its age; in fact, I strongly agree with Abel's famous assertion regarding the proper place to look for knowledge.

What do you guys think about Elements of Algebra, in particular, and texts covering similar material in general?

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    @mixedmath, well, I'll be able to as$k$ much more localised questions as I progress mathematically. $A$t this point in time, I want perspectives on the materials I'm loo$k$ing into, so as to not waste any time :) "look before you leap" sort of thing.2011-04-25

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short answer: read euler. E.g. would you recommend reading Shakespeare's Hamlet, or the Classics comics version?

I think Euler is probably the best introductory algebra book in existence. I would recommend it for all gifted high school students.

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    Your analogy is flawed. (E.g. would you recommend reading Shakespeare's *Hamlet*, or Dickens's *Bleak House*, or Joyce's *Ulysses*, or Chaucer's *Canterbury Tales*? Time is limited, and it depends on the reader.) Yes classics are good to read, and Euler is great, but one can't read them all. Why not read Al-Khwarizmi's *Kitab al-Jabr…* or Chrystal's *Algebra* or Bhaskara's *Bijaganita* or Diophantus's *Arithmetica*, other classics on algebra? Or read Euler's classic *Introductio…* instead? Etc. :) An author may be great but whether a specific book is worth reading is not a foregone conclusion.2011-08-02