The authors intend this handbook to serve as a supplement to the manual and online help for the computer algebra system Maple, version V, release 1 or 2. It is organized mostly alphabetically by command name rather than by topic. Thus the nearly 200 pages of Section 2 list and describe all built-in functions, and subsequent chapters describe the sets of commands available in various packages. If you know the name of a command but not which package it is in, you must resort to the index. While this book is typographically somewhat clearer than the authors’ earlier handbook on Mathematica [1], it could easily be further improved by providing guidewords in the headers, as in a dictionary or encyclopedia.

It is unclear for whom this book is intended, since Maple has a more detailed and authoritative online explanation of each command than is provided here. Furthermore, the online explanation will remain current with the program; a book such as this tends to lag behind reality, although usually in minor ways. The authors do not appear to present any original insight into the use of Maple, or how to overcome limitations imposed by the computer environment (storage and efficiency) or the system design.

In its favor, this handbook provides numerous examples of the use of Maple (showing both input and output), with the occasional plot or graphic to lighten the load. Additionally, it provides an informal paraphrase of the online documentation.