Introductory Algebra (4th Edition) [Hardcover]

Robert F Blitzer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0131492624 | ISBN-13: 978-0131492622 | Publication Date: January 24, 2005 | Edition: 4

Blitzer's mathematical rigor is combined with an engaging, friendly and often fun presentation for greater student appeal. Blitzer's exceptionally clear, accessible writing style combines the nuts and bolts students need with interesting and relevant examples.

Editorial Reviews

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introductory Algebra for College Students, Fourth Edition, provides comprehensive, in-depth coverage of the topics required in a one-term course in beginning or introductory algebra. The book is written for college students who have no previous experience in algebra and for those who need a review of basic algebraic concepts.

I wrote the book to help diverse students, with different backgrounds and career plans, to succeed in beginning algebra. Introductory Algebra for College Students, Fourth Edition, has two primary goals:

1. To help students acquire a solid foundation in the basic skills of algebra.

2. To show students how algebra can model and solve authentic real-world problems.

One major obstacle in the way of achieving these goals is the fact that very few students actually read their textbook. This has been a regular source of frustration fro me and my colleagues in the classroom. Anecdotal evidence gathered over years highlights two basic reasons why students do not take advantage of their textbook:

“I'll never use this information.”

“I can't follow the explanations.”

I've written every page of the Fourth Edition with the intent of eliminating these two objectives. The ideas and tools I've used to do so are described in the features that follow. These features and their benefits are highlighted for the student in “A Brief Guide to Getting the Most from this Book” that appears inside the front cover.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 720 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall; 4 edition (January 24, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131492624
• ISBN-13: 978-0131492622
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bob Blitzer is a native of Manhattan and received a Bachelor of Arts degree with dual majors in mathematics and psychology (minor: English literature) from the City College of New York. His unusual combination of academic interests led him toward a Master of Arts in mathematics from the University of Miami and a doctorate in behavioral sciences from Nova University. Bob's love for teaching mathematics was nourished for nearly 30 years at Miami Dade College, where he received numerous teaching awards, including Innovator of the Year from the League for Innovations in the Community College and an endowed chair based on excellence in the classroom. In addition to Thinking Mathematically, Bob has written textbooks covering introductory algebra, college algebra, algebra and trigonometry, and precalculus, all published by Prentice Hall. When not secluded in his Northern California writer's cabin, Bob can be found hiking the beaches and trails of Point Reyes National Seashore, and tending to the chores required by his beloved entourage of horses, chickens, and irritable roosters.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Love the book... but don't buy it. All you need is the access code!, August 15, 2007

By 

Phoenix Omega - See all my reviews

This review is from: Introductory Algebra (4th Edition) (Hardcover)

This is a great text. The one semester I taught out of it, I thought it was fantastic. And then I discovered CourseCompass/MyMathLab multimedia software that accompanies (or better yet replaces) this text. I will never require the paper text again!

After purchasing an access code for MyMathLab, stuents can read this text online, work interactive mastery problem sets, and view video clips to help with problems. Using the software is like working with a tutor. Students get immediate feedback as well as helpful hints and even worked examples. They will never run out of practice problems because the software randomly generates them.

Homework is graded automatically, and yes, that's less work for me. But more importantly, I get honest easy-to-interperite feedback about my students' performace. I can see exactly what my students are struggling with and WHY. For the students who don't do the homework, there is no way to blame their poor exams scores on the text, the instructor, the phase of the moon, or whatever excuse may come to mind. I can see that they didn't do the homework. For the students who ARE doing the homework, I can see what they're missing and allocate some review time for it.

Sure, we COULD tally up how many students missed which question on the written homework we've carefully graded before every class period. But every minute spent grading is sixty seconds taken away from teaching. With MyMathLab, teachers have all the data on student performance they could ever dream of, and no teaching time is sacrificed to get it.

Homework assignments are customizable with a simple point-and-click interface. You decide your due dates, you pick your problems and your topics. If you want to start your class with a mixture of problems from chapters two and ten (for example), you can create a homework assignment with exactly those topics. And all the problems are wonderful, just like the problems in the paper text.

Teachers, if you aren't using the software version of this text, your students are missing out and you're spending needless energy on grading.

Students, if your teacher doesn't require the access code, buy it anyway. You can work problems online from a "generic" course, and your efforts will be directly reflected in your grade. Studying with the software is so easy and enjoyable (compared to traditional pencil and paper work) that you'll wonder why you ever had trouble with math.

This software could honestly stand on its own as an online course, but it can also reinforce the content delivered in a traditional lecture. Whether used as a central or tangental component of the class , it will be beneficial.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best buys on Amazon.com, April 17, 2009

By 

David Culpepper (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Introductory Algebra (4th Edition) (Hardcover)

It was cheap. It came promptly. It was the book that I wanted. It looks like new. I think it was a great buy. I highly recommend it.