Focusing on helping students to develop both the conceptual understanding and the analytical skills necessary to experience success in mathematics, we present each mathematical topic in this text using a carefully developed learning system to actively engage students in the learning process. We have tried to address the diverse needs of today's students through a more open design, updated figures and graphs, helpful features, careful explanations of topics, and a comprehensive package of supplements and study aids. Students planning to continue their study of mathematics in calculus, trigonometry, statistics, or other disciplines, as well as those taking college algebra as their final mathematics course, will benefit from the text's student-oriented approach. We believe instructors will particularly welcome the new Annotated Instructor's Edition, which provides answers in the margin to almost all exercises, plus helpful Teaching Tips.