Well over 100,000 students have learned precalculus from a Barnett series textbook. Ray Barnett is one of the masters of college textbook authoring. His central approach is proven and remains effective for today’s students. The Barnett series in college algebra and precalculus maximizes student comprehension by emphasizing computational skills, essential ideas, and problem solving rather than mathematical theory. Completely worked examples are used to introduce concepts and to demonstrate problem-solving techniques. These examples are followed by similar matched problems for the student to work. This active involvement in the learning process helps students develop a more thorough understanding of concepts and processes. Another hallmark of the Barnett series, the function concept, is a unifying theme. A brief look at the table of contents will reveal this emphasis. A major objective of this book is the development of a library of elementary functions, including their important properties and uses. Employing this library as a basic working tool, students will be able to proceed through this course with greater confidence and understanding.