The Best 10 Trigonometry Textbooks in 2023

When students hear the name of mathematic topics such as trigonometry, they instantly think it is challenging. Most students believe that it is impossible to solve trigonometry problems. Trigonometry is hard, just like any other mathematical subject. But it won’t be a difficult subject to learn if you could understand the fundamental principles of trigonometry and do some practice problems in trigonometry textbooks.

To help you learn more high school and college trigonometry courses, they include some reference textbooks with other course materials. Some of those reference materials are also hard to understand for some students. And not only college or high school students are using these textbooks to learn trigonometry.

There are countless types of people who need to learn trigonometry to do their jobs better, such as mathematicians, physicists, chemists, and even loggers, machinists, boilermakers. Or even people interested in going back to school use these textbooks to learn trigonometry. So we have covered the best trigonometry textbooks that will allow you to learn. Here we have covered the best trigonometry textbooks available to help you find the most suitable textbook to master trigonometry.

Best Textbooks to Learn Trigonometry in 2021

01. Trigonometry [10th Edition] – Ron Larson

A trigonometry textbook by a known mathematics professor from Penn State University, Pennsylvania, and an author of many mathematics textbooks covering trigonometry, algebra, calculus, and statistics. You must have already known this book since it is one of the most used trigonometry textbooks in high school or college trigonometry courses.

Ron Larson’s Trigonometry (10th edition) textbook has explained trigonometry concepts and theorems with many practice problems to help students gain a good knowledge of trigonometry by practicing what they learn. The author also has included well-written summaries at the end of each chapter to help students revise what they learned in a small period of time. Every chapter includes more than fifty practice problems with answers at the end of the book.

If you want to learn by practicing, this is the best trigonometry textbook for you, even if you are a beginner. Also, there is paid supplemental material included in the textbook.

02. Trigonometry 11th Edition – Lial, John Hornsby, David Schneider & Callie Daniels

In mathematics, understanding big concepts is sometimes easier if you have a good grasp of fundamental mathematics concepts. This book is written by four authors Margaret Lial, John Hornsby, David Schneider, and Callie Daniels, who have also published more than 30 mathematical textbooks in algebra, trigonometry, and calculus, among many mathematical subjects. This book is from their college algebra textbooks series made with their expertise combined all together.

Even if you have no understanding of trigonometry or how it is used in real-life, this book explains everything from the very basics of trigonometry in an encouraging tone. Each section has many example problems with step-by-step answers and has a lot of exercises that could be challenging to solve. That also makes this trigonometry textbook perfect for college students who want to practice more advanced trigonometry problems independently.

A new Trigonometry 11th edition textbook by Margaret Lial, John Hornsby, David Schneider, and Callie Daniels still could cost much more than some textbooks we’ve covered. But you could get a used textbook for a fraction of the cost of the new textbook. Other than that, this is one of the best trigonometry textbooks to use if you are self-studying trigonometry or looking for a book with hard practice questions.

03. Trigonometry for Dummies – Mary Jane Sterling

Not everyone is trying to learn trigonometry because they enrolled in a college or high school trigonometry class. Or some might even know trigonometry, and you need a quick review to maintain your memory about trigonometry. They are only looking for a trigonometry book that is beginner-friendly and easy to finish.

Trigonometry for Dummies is written by Mary Jane Sterling, a mathematics teacher at the University of Peoria, for more than twenty years. She also has published a few books on algebra, pre-calculus, and a few workbooks for mathematics. As with every other dummies book, this also has explained ‘how’ and ‘why’ we use these trigonometry concepts. Everything is explained in plain English to help everyone, regardless of their age, understand trigonometry easily. Each section has a decent amount of practice problems. But it would’ve been great if there were more examples.

Trigonometry for Dummies has fewer pages than other trigonometry textbooks we covered, but it is also at the high school and college education level. Students have said that it was much easier to understand trigonometry after referring to this textbook and perform way better at their exams.

04. Trigonometry [8th Edition] – Charles P. McKeague, Mark D. Turner

The best way to learn trigonometry is by learning the concepts and continuously applying those to various types of trigonometry problems. Trigonometry by Charles P. McKeague, Mark D. Turner is used as a reference trigonometry textbook at many college and high school trigonometry courses. The book is consists of eight chapters, and each includes a learning objective area and assessment at the end of the chapter.

This is a beginner-friendly trigonometry textbook made for mostly high school and college students. All the concepts are explained thoroughly with trigonometry applications, making the principles of trigonometry easier to grasp. Easy and medium-level practice problems are given with step-by-step answers. It would have been great if the authors include much more advanced practice problems for advanced learners.

You would receive a CD with supplemental help and practice problems if you bought a new textbook. But a new one could cost you a couple of hundred bucks. If you want to save money on the textbook, you should pick a used textbook (some include the CD, but some don’t) or an e-textbook.

05. Trigonometry (2001st edition) – I.M.Gelfand, Mark Saul

Trigonometry is used in subjects such as physics, electronics, astronomy, and other mathematical subjects. Especially if you are going to take a pre-calculus course in college or high school, you definitely need to learn trigonometry before starting the course. This trig textbook was written by well-known mathematicians I.M. Gelfand and Mark Saul, who also have published other mathematics textbooks such as Algebra, Geometry, Functions and Graphs, Basic mathematics more.

This book is a unique textbook because it is the 2001st edition of trigonometry by I.M. Gelfand and Mark Saul, and you could still use it today to learn trigonometry by yourself. And this textbook is the most affordable option compared to other trigonometry textbooks available today. It’s still used in college and high school trigonometry courses as a reference textbook. The authors have explained the trigonometry principles so that everyone could learn and memorize them without much trouble.

Book also includes a lot of easy to hard, difficult range practice problems. But the book does not contain answers for them. Even though it is not much of a problem, it would have been great if they’ve included them in the same book. Other than that, this is one of the best trig textbooks you could use to learn it by yourself.

06. College Trigonometry [6th edition] – Richard N. Aufmann

When you go to college from high school, even if you are good at trigonometry, you can still forget some concepts. Most will look for a different trigonometry textbook to read and revise their knowledge of trigonometry, and some may even look for a different set of practice problems.

Richard N. Aufmann is a best-selling textbook author who has published a series of books on developmental mathematics, algebra, and trigonometry for college-level students. The writer explains trigonometry concepts by linking them to real-life situations, which also helps students grasp the concepts quickly. Supplemental material given with the textbook includes tutorials, practice problems, and online tutoring.

In-text reviews at each chapter are given in the newest 6th edition of college trigonometry by Richard N. Aufmann to help students revise the trigonometry core concepts in a short time period. The price point is still high if you are looking to buy a new textbook that costs a couple of hundred dollars. But this is still a great trigonometry book to refer to if you are in college.

07. Schaum’s Outline of Trigonometry [6th edition] – Robert Moyer, Frank Ayres

Learning mathematics is not always about reading the concepts. It is more about applying the concepts learned in practice problems. This trigonometry textbook written by Robert Moyer and Frank Ayres is from Schaum’s Outline textbook series. Schaum’s Outline is a famous textbook series covering topics such as college algebra, physics, differential equations, calculus, complex variables, and more subjects.

If you missed your trigonometry lectures and want more of a learn by practicing an approach to trigonometry, Schaum’s Outline of Trigonometry is the best textbook you could buy. It’s so far the most affordable updated trigonometry textbook available online. The textbook includes 600 step-by-step solved practice problems, and you also get access to over 20 online trigonometry lessons for free.

Even if you answer all the practice problems inside, it won’t take much of your time to finish the textbook. Although this might not be the perfect trigonometry textbook for a beginner, this is the best option if you already know advanced mathematics and want to refresh your trigonometry knowledge.

Best Algebra and Trigonometry Textbooks in 2021

08. Algebra and Trigonometry [6th Edition] – Bob Blitzer

This book is written by Robert F.Blitzer, a publisher with a Master of many mathematics books, including development mathematics, algebra, and calculus. For someone who wants to sharpen their knowledge about algebra and trigonometry or as someone going back to school but wants to prepare themselves, this is another textbook to learn both algebra and trigonometry.

If you have a little to no understanding of algebra and trigonometry, and self-studying, this would be a nice textbook to buy. The new edition (6th edition of Algebra and Trigonometry) includes many bonuses and in-text brief reviews of every topic. Which helps students review the topics they already learned in a small time period.

The author has explained the mathematical concepts by just pointing out how they are applied in real-life situations. Algebra and Trigonometry by Blitzer have a lot of well-explained practice problems which makes this book perfect for self-studying.

09. College Algebra and Trigonometry: A Unit Circle Approach [5th Edition] – Mark Dugopolski

To get good grades for a mathematical subject, learning mathematical concepts and following essential strategies as well as problem-solving skills are required. Mark Dugopolski, the author of college algebra and trigonometry has taken an encouraging approach to teach algebra and trigonometry so the students will stick to the objectives without getting distracted.

Compared to some of the other trigonometry textbooks this one has no serious typo errors. Language is somewhat harder to understand for a beginner. The author explains important algebra concepts that would come in handy if you are going to pre-calculus. There are over a thousand practice problems included with the answers in a DVD.

It’s not the best textbook for self-studying trigonometry. However, if you are in college and you want to review algebra and trigonometry or use a trigonometry textbook in a class this is another great option.

10. Algebra and Trigonometry [10th Edition] – Michael Sullivan 

A mathematics textbook was written by Micheal Sullivan, a mathematics professor at Chicago State University who published well-known fifteen mathematics textbooks on topics such as College Algebra, Finite Mathematics, Precalculus, and Statistics. Most college courses that involve trigonometry or algebra use this textbook as a reference textbook since most professors love it since it was written for math majors.

This is one of the best trigonometry textbooks for someone who at least enrolled in a college course that involves algebra and trigonometry. The author has written this book assuming that the reader already knows the basic concepts. The Textbook also includes a lot of practice problems that are most find difficult to solve.

Since this is a trigonometry textbook with over a thousand pages it will take some time to understand the concepts and finish practice problems. You may also need tutoring for the textbook at some point. So if you are not a math major or just someone who is self-studying trigonometry and algebra you should stay away from this book at least until you master the fundamental concepts.

In a Nutshell

Studying mathematical topics is hard because you have to understand the principles and apply them to practice problems until you get a good get at it. Learning trigonometry can be a bit rough, but if you could use a good trigonometry textbook and supplemental material, you could easily get better at it. There are a lot of trigonometry textbooks available for purchase. However, getting a good textbook according to your situation and learning experience also can play a role in how well you would learn and master trigonometry.