Reviews (9)

Great Book
I had 4 Euro books. REA, Arco, Princeton, and Barron's.
All four had their strong points. I'll list those:

Arco

A great review book. Has a concise and quick review. The timelines at the end of each chapter are great to get the idea of when everything occurred. The test were real good too.

Princeton

If only getting one book, this would probably be the one. Longer reviews than Arco but shorter than REA. Bolds keywords which is really good. This book probably had the best questions matching the test.

REA

This book has a lot of information. Longest and most detailed by far. It is like a textbook. It has six tests. The tests are almost all fact based. It is a very good book. THis book and Arco are good counterparts.

Barron's

It only has one review. The reviews aren't very lengthy. Only good thing about this book is that it has questions about each section after the chapters. It helps with the class preparing for specific tests. Only advantage this book has over the others.

I only wish that I had gotten this sooner
AP Euro is not a very commonly taken class, so a few people were suspicious when a new teacher took it up at our school. Surprise surprise! I realized I had signed up for a class that was helping me learn the history about as well as my chemistry class was.

To cut a long story short, I got this about three weeks before the exam. Reading it religiously, I finally felt like I understood all of the connections and things we were supposed to have learned from our tome of a textbook.

The most amazing thing was that I actually enjoyed it, the way I hoped to enjoy the class before I took it. You may not believe it, but preparing for the exam was as mentally enlightening as it was informative. Everything made sense, and I liked it that way.

One final note- when the princeton review books say "we know the exam" they aren't kidding. My unexpected success with European History last year made me want to buy the AP US review early this year. Our textbook had one sentence on "Salutary Neglect" and the princeton book, which recognizes the importance of such a concept, made a whole section out of it.

This book is more than just a review, it can help guide you if you're feeling lost in a sea of ideas in a difficult class.

Reviews (17)

i found it useful- i took macro economics
this book was great and summarized concepts well- which you expect from any review book.clearly my teacher recommended princeton review.The only thing i dont like is how theres macro and micro mixed together and i wish there was just a separate book.But take your time with this book- dont use it the night before because you'll be really tired- especially if you're taking other APs.

Awesome review guide
This book salvaged me for AP Micro and Macro. I had a teacher who was teaching AP Econ for the first time, so I knew I needed a review guide. I picked up the Princeton Review, and it helped me get a 4 and a 5 (the 4 was due to labor markets---in my opinion, one of the hardest concepts of AP Micro).

Great book
I originally bought this book to prepare myself for the AP economics. I did not took AP exam though, because I ran out of time studying for other AP's.

Reviews (51)

I successfully passed CLEP Biology using this book
This book prepares you for every possible topic that may be on the test. I failed this test twice before. The first time I didn't have this book. The second time I didn't read every section or take all the practice test. After studying the entire book, taking each practice question at the end of each chapter, I passed the CLEP Biology with ease. This book does have one short coming. It only has one complete test that would prepare you for the exam. My suggestion is to purchase AP Biology (REA), it has six practice test.

perfect ...except if you're missing chunks
this was a GREAT book. it covered everything that was on the exam (i just took it this morning haha) and it did not include too much unnecessary information.but this is a REVIEW BOOK... meaning you should not use this to learn the information!! i'll admit that there were a few topics during this school year that didnt actually learn and just "got by"... so when it came time to review for the AP, i had a few chunks of information missing.The Cliff's review book was not made to teach you this information.if you don't underSTAND a concept, i would advise you to use "5 steps for a 5", which is a much easier read.(the only problem with that book alone is that it does not use enough "standard" terms)

Reviews (17)

great art review book!
As a fan of art, I thought the Annotated Mona Lisa got to the point and was easy to read. For those who have absolutely no idea about Matisse or Caravaggio, this is a great book to acquaint yourself with the world of art. As a student of art history, the Annotated Mona Lisa is the closest thing you can get to an art history review book. Although there is some background information there and some quotes here, there is definetly substance hidden in it which could help one answer the free-response questions completely. The charts which characterize each artist during some of the art periods are very helpful, clear and no-nonsense. The multiple choice AP Art History exam tests more factual not analytical information and the book can help one tackle those questions. For the art history student, the only down side to this book is that it only depicts a few art pieces per period, and the AP Art History asks for a little more. In all, the exam tests one knowledge of overall themes and characteristics, and the Annotated Mona Lisa was really helpful!

A Crash Course Indeed!
This author takes you through the first 25,000 years of art history in a mere sixty-three pages, including the Renaissance, and devotes fully one-third of the book to the modern art of the twentieth century.Perhaps I was mislead by the title, hoping for a little bit more attention to Mona's time. A better choice would be Thomas Hoving's "Art for Dummies", with his more objective point of view.

Reviews (5)

A boon to AP Java students
This is a great book. I feel that I owe them for making this book. The authors do a great job in simply summarizing the concepts covered on the AP test, and providing great examples - the free response questions were right on the money! Highly suggested.

Great Review Manual for the AP Comp Sci Exam in Java
Maria Litvin has done an extraordinary job of putting together the new "Be Prepared for the AP Computer Science Exam in Java".This review manual, which has enough detail to double as a text book, has everything students need to focus on prior to taking the exam.It addresses everything in the ETS Java subset that students should have studied during the school year and has outstanding multiple choice and free response practice exam questions. The tests even include questions about the Java Marine Biology Simulation program which students need to know for the exam.Her web site also includes the 2003 C++ free response questions, which have been translated into Java.If you are searching for a great review manual with great practice questions, this is it!

Reviews (17)

Raises your self-esteem...until you get your test results
Very easy to read, simple explanations, many exercises with a wide range of variables. Honestly, if you're taking AP Chem you should be able to do every problem in this book. While the book is good as a study aid, I felt it was pretty useless when it came to preparing me for the test which is VERY difficult.

Overall, the formulas are highlighted and easy to find, the exercise problems are creative but not too challenging. Good for the course but not the test.

Very good practice tests, but unhelpful summaries
Princeton Review's prep books are usually concise in their summaries, and this book was no exception. The summaries were not only short, but they missed out some of the important topics. Many sections merely consisted of a couple of equations and brief explanations. In short, the review sections were not very thorough.

However, I rate this book highly because of the excellent quality of practice tests and section review questions. Their questions, especially the free-response questions, cover the important concepts in a thorough manner and give good practice for the actual AP exam. Also the multiple choice questions were very helpful, unlike the Barron's prep book that had way too narrow and specific questions. Having taken the AP test a couple of weeks ago, I musyhave to say that the Princeton Review's questions came the closest to the actual AP questions.

So buy this book to practice solving questions, but don't rely on it to provide you with a good summary.

Reviews (12)

Helped me get a 4!
This book is a great thing to read after you review everything. It's concise and well explained. I am a horrible student at history because I've never had a good teacher. I actually had a D in my history class but I got a 4 on the AP test! I don't recommend reading Rea. Some people say it's too long...but in reality it's just too complicating. You have no idea what they are even talking about. My friend used Rea all year long and got a 2. I used Kaplan first and then Princeton Review like a week before the AP test and I know Princeton Review made the difference between a 3 and a 4 for me. I remember when I was taking the test like 20 questions came from the Princeton Review book almost like word for word. Get this book!

Good brief review
This book is great if you want to score a 3 or 4 on the exam, don't have a lot of time to study, and have had a very good teacher who has drilled the information into your head. If you haven't then get a more extensive book. You can't learn the material from this book, just review it. This is the only review book I found that was historically accurate.The chapters can be confusing and hard to digest. The info is short but condenced, meaning that in a single paragraph you will get all of the information found in 30 textbook pages. There is not a lot of great info for the essays so the highest you might get is a three unless you get lucky. I had a great teacher and reviewed with this for about 15 hours. I ended up getting a 4 on the exam because I had a lot of outside info about the essays.

Reviews (35)

Horrible Practice Questions, Mediocre Review Material
If you are looking for accurate practice exams and review questions, look elsewhere. In my 10+ years as an AP World History teacher, this book has by far some of the worst practice questions I have ever seen. There is hardly any practice for the DBQ, and the essay questions that are given for comparative and change over time are hardly something one would find on the actual exam. The review material itself is adequate, although I found that there is a lot of unnecessary information included that doesn't typically show up on the exams. I would highly suggest the Princeton Review's book instead of this Barron's publication.

The best review for the AP World Exam!
I took the test last year as a sophomore and for a first time AP test taker this book made me fell at ease and comfortable. The information is good but not an overload like a text book is.
I was able to read the whole thing in the month before the test. However I would NOT recommend this for someone who wants to cram in all the info the week before the test. Although the information doesn't go over your head there is simply a lot of it. If your prefer the cramming style then Princeton would be a better fit for you (not saying princeton is bad- it would be my second choice). But this book is better as a supplement to a class, or a a longer review.
The greatest help for me were the quizzes at the end of each chapter. It is very easy to forget some of what you have read after 5+ pages of info and the quizzes are great for keeping you from forgeting all that work. Then at the end of each unit (many chapters) the re is a 20 question quiz over everything that is extremly helpful and funtions like the smaller quizzes did. My biggest support for this book comes from the quizzes because all the test prep books I have read since have not had them and subsequently are not as good. One thing the book does not give much help for however are the essays... they have bad examples of REAL work though the questions are a good gauge of how the AP questions will be.
Also I recommend THIS particular book but not Barron's in general, I happen to feel that their AP US History test guide pales in comparison to this book... so I credit the author. I ended up with a 4 on the test, which is part due to my excellent teacher (I got very lucky) and of course my other techer John =).

Reviews (6)

Starts 1350 with the Renaissance
So if you're looking for earlier info, go elsewhere (refers to an earlier version). The information is also selective: on some things, this book provides a great deal of information, more than most in fact (like the Enlightenment philosophers); but it skips over or skims other topics (such as colinization and exploration).

In essence, what it covers, it usually covers well, but I personally would supplement to fill in the thin spots. i'd give it 3 & 1/3 stars, if I could.

Best Book Ever
I'm a junior and I decided to self-study the AP World History in January. As it turned out, I was inundated with work until, say, last week. Basically, I had barely started studying. I got this book, skipped a few days of school, and studied VERY hard. Today I took the exam, and I'm about 99% sure I got a 5. I knew more facts than I could care to write down, I knew dates, I knew the essay topics. This book was so well-organized that I was pull off all of that in under a week, however, I still have another six APs to go :(

Reviews (5)

It was ok, a little confusing
I found this book to be helpful in some ways and in other ways, not so much. The sections on Mechanics were very simple and easy to understand. The Fluid Mechanics and Thermal Physics and the Waves and Optics sections were all easy for me to comprehend. This book was a big help in the Waves and Optics section because we didn't even go over that in class, but I was able to teach myself how to do it. As far as the Electricity and Magnetism, I thought it was extremely difficult to understand and after a while I didn't even bother with it, because I just didn't get it. I don't know if this would be my first suggestion for an AP Physics B review book, but it was ok, just a little confusing.

The way to go to improve your score.
This book contains everything you'd want to know about both AP Physics tests. Everything is written clearly and makes perfect sense, even if you're teacher is useless (trust me, mine is). I've taught myself entire sections using this book alone. I have no doubt that this will improve my score on the AP Physics test.

Reviews (7)

Great Review!!
I had four US Government Review books and this was definitely the most useful to me. (I had the 99-00 edition, but took the exam in 2001). I ended up scoring a 5!

Concise, clear, and all-around great!
Princeton Review is the best in test prep books. The book is clear, funny at times, and keeps your attention long enough to teach you all you need to know to ace the AP test.

Reviews (31)

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING
I was in an AP class. I did not put my full effort into the AP Euro class and was scared right before the AP. Right about a month before the test I bought this book and read it all the way through. The day before the test I reviewed what I felt were the top 5 most important subjects (French Revolution, WWI, etc.) Needless to say, to my surprise I got a 5 on the test. An I truly would have to say that 85% of that grade came from reading this book.

Partition of Lithuania
I have found one error in this otherwise excellent book, an error that has been repeated in many other books of modern European history.When discussing the partitions of Poland the author discusses the partition of Lithuanian territories as though these territories were a part of Poland.He states that Byelorussia and Polish Ukraine were ceded to Russia by Poland.This is not true.The fact of the matter is that Byelorussia and parts of the Ukraine were ruled by Lithuania and not by Poland.There was a Lithuanian Ukraine but there never was any such thing as the Polish Ukraine.Hopefully these matters will be resolved in later editions.

Reviews (7)

Love This Book
I absolutely love this book. They should teach regular classes using this book.

Get this book if you're taking AP Calculus
I purchased this book nine months before the test date but I did not study the book until three days before the test date.
Three days before the date, I did the AB practice test. It took me about 3-4 hours, and I got about half wrong. Two days before, I went over all the problems I missed and I copied down the solutions in red pen on the margin. The day before the test, I did another set of practice test. This time, I got about 12 wrong, and by this time I was really familiar with the test format and concepts I should know.

The multiple choice part of the actual test wasn't very hard. But the essay part was REALLY HARD. But I managed to write something down on every problem. Looking back, I think that it is my actual Calc class that helped me to do the essay part. (I only used the practice part of the book...)

I ended up with a 5, and considering I didn't know about 80% percent of Calculus, I think this book really helped me on getting my score.

Reviews (2)

Studied a little, helped a lot
To be honest, I was never a good writer, I got a 650 on my SAT2 writing test.I didn't take the English AP Language course because I didn't like the teacher too much, so I never had any preparation for it.I didn't do any writing in my English honors class either, but we did read a lot.

I did a few multiple choice questions to familiarize myself with the types of questions they would ask, and when I read the questions and I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of technical terms I never learned like "allegory" and all that stuff, so I went to the back and memorized those terms.I read a lot of the essays in the book so I would know what they were looking for.This book helped a lot on the essay. It teaches you how to structure your essay, write up an introduction, write a pretty sentence, and do some analyzing.I didn't do any of the full-length practice tests, so I never really learned how to time myself.And during the actual test, I never reached the last passage of the multiple choice exam.I was panicking so much, I seriously thought of cancelling my score.But because I actually tried, and paid for it.. I didn't.I ended up getting a 4 on the test, which I'm really proud of.

You have to keep practice writing the essays here, that's where it really counts.

Reviews (9)

Not bad. I managed to get a 4 using this book only.
I'll be honest. I think I was well prepared for AP exam way before reading this book. I've had hardcore Honors English 2 to help prep me for the AP class.

I didn't use this book till the week before the exam. The multiple choice questions were nothing like the ones on the AP exam, which I thought were easier than the ones in the book. If you really want to do well on AP exam, just do the multiple choice and see what you missed. I scored low on each exam (missed 10 or so) and didnt grade myself on the essays.

The good parts of the book are the comprehensive review of glossary terms and the section on writing the essay. AP English is the easiest AP exam to prep for. You don't necessarily need the AP class. You just need to know literary terms and how to write concisely. Overall, 4 stars for getting me the 4 on the AP exam. For the most part, most people in my class got 4s and I dont necessarily think it has to do with the book, but I think if you need practice, this is a decent book.

Excellent prep book
I basically took the AP Lang exam using only this book to prepare, and I scored a 5.I did walk into it with pretty developed writing skills, but this book helped me understand and improve my literary analysis.I did about ten of the sample essays and one of the multiple choice sections in the practice tests.The student written essays are helpful; the high scoring ones give you a good idea of what the scorers are looking for.
The main thing to keep in mind on the AP Lang test is sounding intelligent is most important, even if your points are simple.As Oscar Wilde so eloquently put it, "In matters of great importance, style, not sincerity, is what really matters."

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Subjects:  1. Advanced Placement    2. Study Aids    3. Study Aids-Advanced Placement    4. Study Guides   

Reviews (4)

A LIFESAVER!
This is a wonderful study guide. I hardly paid attention in class the whole year. Nor did I keep up with the reading. The weekend before the AP Exam, I read this book and did all the practice questions and essays. I ended up getting a 5 (the highest grade possible)! This book works miracles! Highly recommended.

Good book, especially for the terminology.
I found this book very helpful in getting all the Human Geography terminology down. That includes the different theories and names of map projections, ect.

The big difference I found between the tests in this book and those on the exam is that in the exam you have to know more general knowledge about the world. The questions are more like "which of these countries exports the most sugar?" or ""which are the two most populous Australian states?" Those questions mean one has to have a general understanding about a lot of geographical things in the world already - the book can't teach that.