The Eighth Edition of this highly dependable book retains its best features–accuracy, precision, depth, and abundant exercise sets–while substantially updating its content and pedagogy. Striving to teach mathematics as a way of life, Sullivan provides understandable, realistic applications that are consistent with the abilities of most readers. Chapter topics include Graphs; Polynomial and Rational Functions; Conics; Systems of Equations and Inequalities; Exponential and Logarithmic Functions; Counting and Probability; and more. For individuals with an interest in learning algebra as it applies to their everyday lives.

It's agood book. I'm upset I only had it for 8 weeks and we rushed. The delievery was well planned, I just wish I hadn't had so much trouble with my credit card the first few (4) rounds.

While I will admint I am no math wiz. This has got to be wone of the mmost poorly presented treatments of a difficult I have encountered. Too bad many schools will force you to use it...

In fact I would say it is a downright shame!

I love this book. It explains the formulas and how they are made very well, in clear English. I will definitely keep it for future use. I've always loved College Algebra and this book can help me continue to learn it.

Pros:
- Explains well
- Great examples
- Descriptive
- Answers in back of book
- Whatever questions you have, it answers it

Cons:
- Very heavy
- The material doesn't stick in my head right after reading it (but that's my problem)
- When doing some of the problems I couldn't derive, from the examples shown, the answers
- Offers only odd answers to problems
- Gets dirty easily
- There were other things I didn't like, but I forget.

Overall: Great book! I love it.

In his latest update of this text, Sullivan takes the reader through a high school or undergraduate level course in algebra. Though the title says "College", all of this material is also eminently do-able at the high school level, for advanced students, aspiring to major in maths or science. While at the university level, it appears to be targeting those students not majoring in maths, physical science or engineering.

Why? Because the dividing line is calculus. The book gives a good treatment of what you should know in maths, up to, but not including, calculus. It also has a chapter on probability. Which I don't think is usually considered part of algebra. But, pragmatically and correctly, Sullivan chose to include it.

The text has numerous examples, with only a little emphasis on a strict derivation of theorems. Another indication that it does not target a maths major. Sullivan gives informal explanations that should suffice to satisfy most readers.

Each chapter also has a prolific number of problems; around one hundred. Very suitable and convenient for a lecturer [you?] to assign as homework, since the book only supplies answers to half of these. Enough to keep your students happily [?] busy.

This book is by no means meant to be a primary text. It clearly states it is a review textbook to help prepare you for tests. This it does decently except that there are many simple mistakes that detract from its usefullness.
By no means am I a Mathematics expert, but this book has too many glaring errors. See Chapter 4 in particular, they even answer some of their own test questions wrong. For example problem #23 or pages 71-72, the graph is totally wrong I can tell with out using a calculator.

How dare someone release such a poorly checked text.