The Barnett, Ziegler, Byleen College Algebra series is designed to be user-friendly and maximize student comprehension. The goal of this series is to emphasize computational skills, ideas, and problem solving rather than mathematical theory. The large number of pedagogical devices employed in this text will guide a student through the course.

Explore/Discuss boxes integrated throughout each text encourage students to think critically about mathematical concepts. All worked examples are followed by Matched Problems that reinforce the concepts being taught.

Students are always shown the underlying algebraic methods first so that they do not become calculator-dependent. An abundance of exercises - including numerous calculator-based and reasoning and writing exercises - and a wide variety of real-world applications illustrate how math is useful.