This textbook is intended for a one or two-term course in mathematics for college students majoring in the social sciences, English, history, music, art, education, humanities, philosophy, criminal justice, government, or any of the other majors in liberal arts. Most colleges and universities require liberal arts students to fulfill a math or quantitative component. The liberal arts mathematics course with an algebra prerequsite is a popular selection for these students. Our 9-chapter textbook offers modern applications of mathematics in the liberal arts as well as the aesthetic features of this very rich facet of history and ongoing advancement of human society.Johnson believes that both the use of the concept of function as a central theme and the inclusion of several chapters seldom seen in other texts of this genre considerably broadens the appeal of this text. It provides a sample of the next level of mathematics for which a college student who has passed intermediate algebra should be able to master. The book attempts to answer the questions, "How does mathematics help us to better our society and understand the world around us?" and "What are some of the unifying ideas of mathematics?" The central theme helps to impress upon the student the feeling that mathematics is more than a disconnected potpourri of rules and tricks. Although it would be inappropriate to force a functional connection in every single section, the theme is used whenever possible to provide conceptual bridges between chapters. Developing the concept of a function augments the presentation of many topics in every chapter.The Text's Objectives:The author chose the topics based on meeting the specific NCTM curriculum standards to:1. Strengthen estimation and computational skills.2. Utilize algebraic concepts.3. Emphasize problem-solving and reasoning.4. Emphasize pattern and relationship recognition.5. Highlight importance of units in measurement.6. Highlight importance of the notion of a mathematical function.7. Display mathematical connections to other disciplines.Key Features:Writing StyleAbundance of ExamplesNonstandard MaterialVocabulary ListChapter Review TestsHistorical FiguresFlexibility