This clear, accessible treatment of mathematics features a building-block approach toward problem solving and realistic, diverse applications. Students practice problem solving and decision making with interesting applications throughout the text. The Putting Your Skills to Work and new chapter-end feature, Math in the Media, present students with opportunities to utilize critical thinking skills, analyze and interpret data, and problem solve using applied situations encountered in daily life.

The problem solving strategy, highlighted by *A Mathematics Blueprint for Problem Solving, helps students determine where to begin the problem-solving process, as well as how to plan subsequent problem-solving steps. Chapter organizers help students focus their study on the concepts and examples. Developing Your Study Skills boxes throughout the text give students tips to help them improve their study skills. These features, together with the applications and emphasis on problem solving, help students to become effective and confident problem solvers.