As in previous editions, the focus in ALGEBRA: INTRODUCTORY & INTERMEDIATE remains on the Aufmann Interactive Method (AIM). Students are encouraged to be active participants in the classroom and in their own studies as they work through the How To examples and the paired Examples and You Try It problems. The role of "active participant" is crucial to success. Presenting students with worked examples, and then providing them with the opportunity to immediately work similar problems, helps them build their confidence and eventually master the concepts. To this point, simplicity plays a key factor in the organization of this edition, as in all other editions. All lessons, exercise sets, tests, and supplements are organized around a carefully-constructed hierarchy of objectives.