These experienced authors have been praised for their in-depth explanations and their commitment to avoiding a cookbook approach. Their text addresses three critical issues in teaching precalculus: poor student preparation, the need for thoughtful integration of the graphing calculator, and poor student study skills.
"Precalculus is intended for college-level precalculus students. Since precalculus courses vary from one institution to the next, we have attempted to meet the needs of as broad an audience as possible, including all of the content that might be covered in any particular course. The result is a comprehensive book that covers more ground than an instructor could likely cover in a typical one- or two-semester course; but instructors should find, almost without fail, that the topics they wish to include in their syllabus are covered in the text. Many chapters of OpenStax College Precalculus are suitable for other freshman and sophomore math courses such as College Algebra and Trigonometry; however, instructors of those courses might need to supplement or adjust the material. OpenStax will also be releasing College Algebra and Algebra and trigonometry titles tailored to the particular scope, sequence, and pedagogy of those courses."--Preface.
You'll have the confidence and knowledge to succeed in this course and any subsequent math course you take with UNDERSTANDING INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA: A COURSE FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS. Hirsch and Goodman's gradual introduction of concepts, rules, and definitions through a wealth of illustrative examples (both numerical and algebraic) will help you compare and contrast related ideas and understand the sometimes-subtle distinctions among a variety of situations.