Tobey and Slater's 'Beginning Algebra' text is used by my college where I tutor mathematics in the first course in Algebra, often the first course in Algebra many of our students have ever taken. It is very much a beginning course, as the course itself carries no official 'credit' (it is a zero-level course, as a prerequisite to other science and mathematics courses, that many students place out of on the basis of assessment scores). The first chapter is actually a Chapter Zero, covering review topics in the event students have not had mathematics for a while. These include topics such as fractions, decimals, percentages, estimation, and basic arithmetical functions. The chapter is a bit disorganised (however, every class seems to have a different intuitive feel for mathematics, so I have not discovered that one system of rearrangement that works for all classes).
The following chapters cover the major topics of Algebra systematically: Real Numbers and Variables; Equations and Inequalities; Applied Problems (this is the dreaded `story problem' chapter, where most students who seek tutoring first seek it out); Exponents and Polynomial expressions; Factoring (another major area of problem for students); Rational Expressions/Equations; Graphing and Functions (the third primary area of problem for students); Solving Systems of Equations; Radicals and Roots (including some basic geometry via the Pythagorean theorem); and finally Quadratic Equations.
Each of the sections includes pretests, post-tests and reviews, and plenty of problems to be solved to reinforce the mathematical principles being presented. There are a few issues with the organisation that we address in the course (sometimes the introduction of square roots and radicals needs to be advanced to assist in the discussion of factoring, for example), but these are fairly minor and can be adjusted as the instructor and/or course planner desires.
Each of the chapters deals with things in a mathematical as well as an 'English' way - explaining in words the concepts and operations being carried out in the numbers. Each section of each chapter covers only a few key concepts, with enough problems for solving that reinforce the principles thoroughly. Each section also as word problems (story problems) to test the real-world applicability of the numerical/mathematical concepts being presented, so when students ask (as they always do and shall), 'When am I ever going to use this?' there are examples drawn from typical situations.
Tobey and Slater have also worked to make various connections with geometry, graphs and charts, tables, as well as internet resources to provide the most up-to-date and useful text. There are specific problems along the way that assume the use of calculators (as most of real-life mathematics now involves calculators).
The book's design is interesting from a graphic-design standpoint, but from the standpoint of clarity to the students, the pages are a bit `busy'. While I appreciate the need to reduce the number of pages in an effort to keep the costs down (text-book prices are typically higher than popular-book prices, and this text is no exception), more white space on the pages would probably help the accessibility and make it a little less intimidating.
Most students who take the Beginning Algebra class using this text who then move on to the Intermediate Algebra class (which is the course level of mathematics required of most every degree programme at our college) find that, in many respects, they have already mastered the key concepts of Algebra, and find Intermediate to be new applications and more complex problems of similar principles they have already learned. In that respect, this text is a good one, and serves the students well.
