Essential Mathematics provides mathematically sound and comprehensive coverage of the topics considered essential in a basic college math course. The Aufmann Interactive Method ensures that students master concepts by actively practicing them as they are introduced. This approach is ideal for traditional and returning students in both classroom and distance-learning environments.

For the Sixth Edition, topics from geometry have been integrated into the text, using verbal explanations. In addition, coverage of simple interest (Chapter 6) has been expanded.

• The Aufmann Interactive Method helps students learn and understand math concepts by doing the math. Every objective contains one or more sets of matched-pair examples. Students first walk through a worked-out example and then solve a similar "You Try It" example. Complete solutions to these examples are available in an appendix.
• An Integrated Learning System organized by objectives helps students understand what they're learning and why as they apply new concepts throughout the chapter. Each chapter begins with a list of goals that form the framework for a complete learning system. These objectives are woven throughout the text, in Exercises, Chapter Tests, Cumulative Reviews, as well as the print and multimedia ancillaries.
• An Instructor's Annotated Edition provides reduced pages from the Student Edition to leave space for the following features: Instructor Notes; In-Class Examples; Concept Checks; Discuss the Concepts; Special presentation of new Vocabulary/ Symbols/Formulas/Rules/Properties/Equations; Special review of these same features; Optional Student Activities; Quick Quizzes; Answers to Writing Exercises; Suggested Assignments; and Answers to all exercises.
• AIM for Success, a special student preface, offers techniques and support for student success.
• Prep Tests at the beginning of each chapter assess students' prerequisite skills. Students may check answers in an appendix, which refers them back to a previous objective for review, if necessary.
• Go Figure challenge problems follow the Prep Test to engage students in problem solving.
• Updated data problems, designed to show students the relevance of mathematics across the disciplines and in daily life, reflect current data and trends.
• Additional and revised Projects and Group Activities enable students to see the connections between abstract concepts and real-life situations.
• Strong emphasis on applications demonstrates the value of mathematics as a real-life tool. Chapter openers have been updated with new photos and captions illustrating a specific application from the chapter.
• Focus on Problem Solving features and active learning strengthen problem-solving skills.
• Unlike most textbooks, this series simultaneously introduces verbal phrases for mathematical operations and the operations themselves. Exercises then prompt students to make a connection between a phrase and a mathematical process.