Book excerpt: Full of features and applications, this acclaimed textbook for upper undergraduate level and graduate level students includes all the major topics of computational linear algebra, including solution of a system of linear equations, least-squares solutions of linear systems, computation of eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and singular value problems. Drawing from numerous disciplines of science and engineering, the author covers a variety of motivating applications. When a physical problem is posed, the scientific and engineering significance of the solution is clearly stated. Each chapter contains a summary of the important concepts developed in that chapter, suggestions for further reading, and numerous exercises, both theoretical and MATLAB and MATCOM based. The author also provides a list of key words for quick reference. The MATLAB toolkit available online, 'MATCOM', contains implementations of the major algorithms in the book and will enable students to study different algorithms for the same problem, comparing efficiency, stability, and accuracy.