This self-teaching guide presents general precalculus concepts first, so you'll ease into the basics. You'll gradually master functions, graphs of functions, logarithms, exponents, and more. As you progress, you'll also conquer topics such as absolute value, nonlinear inequalities, inverses, trigonometric functions, and conic sections. Clear, detailed examples make it easy to understand the material, and end-of-chapter quizzes and a final exam help reinforce key ideas. Simple enough for a beginner but challenging enough for an advanced student, , Second Edition, Second Edition, helps you master this essential subject.