Book excerpt: A major complaint of lecturers teaching calculus is that students don't have the appropriate background to work through the calculus course successfully. This text is targeted directly at this underprepared audience. This is a single-variable (2 term) calculus text that incorporates a conceptual re-introduction to key precalculus ideas throughout the exposition as appropriate. This is the ideal resource for those schools dealing with poorly prepared students or for schools introducing a slower paced, integrated precalculus/calculus course. * A careful, intuitive presentation of key calculus and precalculus ideas, stressing the connections between precalculus and calculus, and tying these ideas into real-world situations. * Accessible and interesting to anxious, underprepared calculus students. * Unique, innovative approach that targets a key problem in calculus. * Penetrating, well-constructed examples that get to the heart of the discussion. * Creative exercises and problems. * Use of technology is assumed, but no specific technology is required. * Topics presented analytically and graphically, numerically and verbally (Rule of Four). * Full coverage of single variable calculus (2