The variety of topics and flexibility of sequence make this text appropriate for a one- or two-term course in liberal arts mathematics, quantitative reasoning, finite mathematics, mathematics for education majors, and courses specifically designed to meet state-mandated requirements in mathematics. Blitzer’s hallmark applications keep students motivated and pull from timely real-world events and data. Chapter openers andsection openers present compelling applications, helping students to realize that mathematics is everywhere. Each vignette poses a question and explores how the section’s subject can be applied to answer the question. These scenarios are then revisited in the chapter or section. Interesting applications from all disciplines, supported by up-to-date, real-world data, are included in every section. Students see how mathematics can be used to solve real problems. The latest applications and real-world data are compiled from hundreds of books, magazines, newspapers, almanacs, and online sites. For the Fifth Edition, 265 worked-out examples and application exercises are based on new data. Blitzer Bonus enrichment essays appear throughout the text, covering a variety of interesting applications. Blitzer’s unique background–with degrees in psychology and mathematics, plus 30 years of teaching at Miami Dade Community College–lead to a text that reflects what today’s students need to succeed in this course. Clearly stated section objectives help students recognize and focus on the most important ideas. Objectives are restated in the margin when the concept appears in the text. Worked-out, annotated examples are written clearly and provide step-by-step solutions to help students work through “sticking points” that can cause frustration. Conversational annotations help students understand the solutions by providing the reasoning behind the mathematics. Voice balloons translate mathematical language into plain English, clarifying problem-solving procedures, presenting alternative ways of understanding, and connecting complex problems to the basic concepts students have already learned. Check Points follow each worked example with a similar problem so students have an opportunity to immediately test comprehension through additional practice. The answers to the Check Points are provided in the answer section. Study Tip boxes offer suggestions for problem solving, point out common errors to avoid, and provide informal hints and suggestions. By seeing common mistakes, students learn to avoid them. Extensive, well-organized exercise sets parallel Examples at the end of each section. Exercises are organized into six categories for instructor flexibility: Practice Exercises, Application Exercises, Writing in Mathematics, Technology Exercises, Critical Thinking Exercises, and Group Activity Exercises. The order of the practice exercises matches the order of the section’s illustrative examples. This parallel arrangement enables students to refer to the titled examples and their detailed explanations to successfully complete the practice exercises. End-of-chapter material is designed to help students review and study. Chapter review grids summarize key definitions and important concepts with examples to direct students to the most important material. Chapter review exercises, a comprehensive collection of review exercises for each of the chapter’s sections, follow the review grid. Chapter Tests enable students to assess their understanding of the contents from the entire chapter. Chapter Test Prep Videos–a