I used this for Calculus 1,2, and 3 and I felt it was pretty useful. I had to buy it though, so I will agree that the book is kind of overpriced (almost all college textbooks are). But it's a pretty nice deal since I used it for 3 semesters. I never looked at previous editions, so I can't comment on the differences. I would also highly recommend PatrickJMT.com and KhanAcademy.org for supplemental material.