An extremely flexible presentation allows instructors to use this text in a variety of course settings.  For application-oriented courses, the pedagogical emphasis is on understanding the concepts and learning to use vector spaces.  For more theoretically-oriented courses, the emphasis is on devising proofs and dealing with abstractions.  By moving around and shifting emphasis, instructors can teach linear algebra with either a theoretical or an applications orientation.

Numerous examples throughout the text show how problems from engineering, biology, natural science, demography, etc. can be solved using linear algebra. 

The text features hundreds of problems in each section, totally over 3000 problems throughout the text.  Problem types include: regular problems, true-false, multiple-choice, and project-problems involving computer programming.

The text encourages students to learn at least one of the powerful mathematical software tools, such as Matlab, Maple and Mathematica.  Instructors have the flexibility to determine how to use these valuable resources in their course.

Footnotes throughout the text refer to historical events and personages in the field of linear algebra.

A Student Solutions Manual provides worked solutions to selected exercises from the text.