College Algebra: A Concise Courseprovides a solid understanding of algebra, using modeling techniques and real-world data applications. The text is effective for students who will continue on in mathematics, as well as for those who will end their mathematics education with college algebra. Instructors may also take advantage optional discovery and exploration activities that use technology and are integrated throughout the text. The Fifth Edition enhances problem solving coverage throughMake a Decisionfeatures. These features are threaded throughout each chapter, beginning with the Chapter Opener application, followed by examples and exercises, and ending with the end-of-chapter project. This edition also features Eduspace, Houghton Mifflin's online learning tool, which allows instructors to teach all or part of a course online, and provides students with additional practice, review, and homework problems. A full version of this text,College Algebra: Concepts and Models,provides additional introductory review. New!Make a Decisionfeatures thread through each chapter beginning with the Chapter Opener application, followed by examples and exercises, and ending with the end-of-chapter project. Students are asked to choose which answer fits within the context of a problem, to interpret answers in the context of a problem, to choose an appropriate model for a data set, or to decide whether a current model will continue to be accurate in future years. The student must examine all data and decide upon a final answer. Chapter Projectsextend applications designed to enhance students understanding of mathematical concepts. Real data is previewed at the beginning of the chapter and then analyzed in detail in the Project at the end of the chapter. Here the student is guided through a set of multi-part exercises using modeling, graphing, and critical thinking skills to analyze the data. A variety of exercise typesare included in each exercise set. Questions involving skills, modeling, writing, critical thinking, problem-solving, applications, and real data sets are included throughout the text. Exercises are presented in a variety of question formats, including free response, true/false, and fill-in the blank. New!"In the News" Articlesfrom current media sources (magazines, newspapers, web sites, etc.) have been added to every chapter. Students answer questions that connect the article and the algebra learned in that section. This feature allows students to see the relevancy of what they are learning, and the importance of everyday mathematics. Discussing the Conceptactivities end most sections and encourage students to think, reason, and write about algebra. These exercises help synthesize the concepts and methods presented in the section. Instructors can use these problems for individual student work, for collaborative work or for class discussion. In many sections, problems in the exercise sets have been marked with a special icon in the instructor's edition as alternative discussion/collaborative problem. Discoveryactivities provide opportunities for the exploration of selected mathematical concepts. Students are encouraged to use techniques such as visualization and modeling to develop their intuitive understanding of theoretical concepts. These optional activities can be omitted at the instructor's discretion without affecting the flow of the material. New!Eduspace,Houghton Mifflin's online learning tool powered by Blackboard, is a customizable, powerful and interactive platform that provides instructors with text-specific online courses and content.