The writing style gives carefully worded, thorough explanations that are direct, easy to understand, and mathematically accurate. The use of color, subheadings, and shaded boxes help students understand and reference important topics. The emphasis is on basic operations and procedures and why they work as they do, as well as on how to perform these operations and procedures. Point-by-point explanations are incorporated within the examples for better understanding, and directions are given in an easy-to-follow format. Classroom practice problems (with answers) appear in nearly every section to reinforce students’ understanding of the concepts in that section and to provide the instructor with immediate feedback.

The NCTM and AMATYC curriculum standards have been taken into consideration in the development of the topics throughout the text.