"A strength of this book is its appropriateness in a wide variety of instructional settings. In particular, it allows instructors flexibility in the selection of and the ordering of topics and in the use of technology. The essential core material is Chapter 1, Sections 2.1 through 2.5, and Sections 3.1 through 3.5. After completing these sections, the selection of additional topics, and the order and depth of coverage are generally at the discretion of the instructor. Chapters 4 through 11 are essentially independent of each other, except that Chapter 7 should precede Chapter 9, and Chapter 10 should precede Chapter 11"--