This book is a different kind of developmental mathematics text. We believe that any mathematics worth learning is best learned in the context of its use by real people in real jobs. Without neglecting necessary practice with fundamental skills, we emphasize connections between mathematics and the workplace, both in the body of the text and in the exercises. Interesting applications motivate students to learn, and guided discovery helps them succeed in their learning by developing habits of persistence necessary for achievement.The AMATYC Standards have been thoroughly embraced by this book: Active investigation of mathematics is emphasized throughout with the expectation that students will conduct much of this investigation in small, collaborative groups. The content integrates data analysis, measurement, and geometry with traditional topics in elementary and intermediate algebra. A modeling theme runs throughout the text, as students learn to construct a variety of models, using equations, graphs, tables, arrow diagrams, narrative descriptions, geometry, and statistics. Access to computing technology is assumed, although the text can be used successfully without it.In addition to competence with mathematical skills and concepts, this text intends to provide familiarity with the "new basic skills" demanded by the modern workplace, as reflected in such documents as the SCANS Report and various Industry Skills Standards. These include critical thinking, team-building, interdisciplinary connections, and communications skills.Unfortunately reading is frequently not a strength of developmental mathematics students. Our philosophy is that students should be encouraged to improve their reading skills as they develop mathematical facility. Many of the contextual situations in the text require students to read for mathematical content. Indeed, an essential part of acquiring the ability to model the world with mathematics is learning to see how mathematics is embedded in varioussituations. We hope students will be encouraged to increase their reading ability as they see that careful reading helps them achieve mathematics competence. To this end, vocabulary is kept accessible and unfamiliar concepts are clearly explained in terms that students are able to understand.Some topics that are not always considered part of developmental mathematics are introduced as they arise naturally in context. For example, vectors are mentioned in Chapter 1 as quantities whose measurement requires more than one number. Functions are introduced early as a way of describing dependency relationships between variables, and graphs of polynomials are touched on briefly in Chapter 4. These topics provide the underpinnings for in-depth work in precalculus and help lay the groundwork for more advanced mathematical study.