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Rating:  Summary: Terrible Review: Don't buy this book -- it's slapped-together junk.The math questions in the sample tests are riddled with errors. If you want to be tested on your knowledge of the fact that 2 times 1000 equals 2500, this is your book. After I got frustrated with the typos in the pencil and paper tests, I decided to move on to the electronic test. Unfortunately, the questions in the electronic test turn out to be the very same questions! I can't believe I paid good money for this book. If you have a parakeet I guess you could line its cage with the pages, but other than that I don't see a use for it.
Rating:  Summary: Sucks Review: I can only speak to this book in part, as I have mainly been using others. Basically, I bought this one as a suppliment because it had 6 full length practice tests, plus a cd rom. I have mainly been using it for math practice, but I have to say that it sucks. A lot of typos, so you can't do some of the problems. But mainly, the tests are way too easy. It is practically worthless to me. It might be good for you if you are shooting for 500 to 600 on the test, and don't want to be intimidated by problems you can't do. Also, there is only one cat test on the cd rom. Most books come with two. They also advertise that you can dowload another test on the back cover. But it turns out you have to pay $20 for that. Pretty lame. It is written in such a way that it makes you think you will get free online stuff like you do with the Kaplan book or the Princeton one. Not a good deal considering you can dowload 5 for $25 from a link right on this page from 800gre.com or whatever it is, or two real ones from ets for free. (By the way- I highly recommend going to gre.org and downloading the ones for free there in addition to whatever studying you do - the real (retired) gre's have much more difficult problems.) Having tried most of the books, so far I like Barron's the best.
Rating:  Summary: It's Been Said But I'll Say It Again! Review: So many reviewers seem to have reached the same consensus: this book is one of the worst of the GRE prep's one can buy.
First, the most glaring shortcoming: the CD-ROM is simply a waste. Besides the practice tests, the ONLY other feature is a lecture (supposedly from an expert) on each of the sections that are each approximately 30 minutes in length. While this might sound decent, the info covered in the lectures is pretty much the same info covered in the book. By contrast, Kaplan's GRE CD-ROM offers practice SECTIONS (so that if you want to get a verbal score, you don't have to take a full practice test, as you do here). Theirs is also chock full of preperational tools (games, and such) that focus on each section. Much more effective than this dud!
The book itself, while not bad, covers all of the same strategies and methodologies that all the other books do. The math section, as has been said, is full of typos. The verbal section, while decent, simply doesn't illuminate anything that cannot be easily gotten elsewhere, in a better book.
One last thing: the paper-based practice sections don't seem to simulate the GRE question style very well. For instance, on the verbal, I had been scoring consistently at 700 on these paper-based practice tests. What I got on the GRE verbal, though, was a 530. Yes, I know that computer-based scores come out differently than paper-based ones, but the thing is that the questions offered here are generally not as hard and do not replicate well, the style of the actual questions you will find on the GRE.
Get the Kaplan or the Princeton Review books. They are much better all the way around.
Rating:  Summary: Typos Galore! Review: Think twice before you buy. I have never seen a reference book with so many typos! I do not score very well on standardized tests & therefore need all the help I can get, especially w/ strategies. Ex. if there're 10 math problems of any type, I'll only get 4 correct. I need some type of strategy to increase my score even if I don't know the answer. I'm a little older than most grad. students & haven't done this type of stuff in a long time. Unfortunately this book has so many wrong answers & typos that it hasn't helped me much. This book also needs to be organized better & cut out all the useless talk. It needs to focus on what's on the test & the specific strategy you can use if you can't figure the answer out. I believe I lost good money on this one! I'll read all reviews before I buy any reference book in the future from any company.
Rating:  Summary: Typos Galore! Review: Think twice before you buy. I have never seen a reference book with so many typos! I do not score very well on standardized tests & therefore need all the help I can get, especially w/ strategies. Ex. if there're 10 math problems of any type, I'll only get 4 correct. I need some type of strategy to increase my score even if I don't know the answer. I'm a little older than most grad. students & haven't done this type of stuff in a long time. Unfortunately this book has so many wrong answers & typos that it hasn't helped me much. This book also needs to be organized better & cut out all the useless talk. It needs to focus on what's on the test & the specific strategy you can use if you can't figure the answer out. I believe I lost good money on this one! I'll read all reviews before I buy any reference book in the future from any company.
Rating:  Summary: Don't waste time with this guide, there are many better. Review: To echo the sentiment of the reviews below, do not buy this guide. The typos are rampant and they don't stop with the printed book. The software is okay but has some weak spots and bugs. The reading comprehension practice, for example, is impossible to smoothly scroll through, allowing you to only read chunks at a time. Kaplan and Princeton offer much superior guides for a similar price.
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