The Dugopolski Precalculus series for 1999 is technology optional. With this approach, teachers will be able to choose to offer either a strong technology-oriented course, or a course that does not make use of technology. For departments requiring both options, this text provides the advantage of flexibility. College Algebra and Trigonometry is designed for students who are pursuing further study in mathematics, but is equally appropriate for those who are not. For those students who will study additional mathematics, this text will provide the skills, understanding, and insights necessary for success in future courses. For those students who will not pursue further mathematics, the extensive emphasis on applications and modeling will demonstrate the usefulness and applicability of mathematics in the world today. Additionally, the focus on problem solving that is a hallmark of this text provides numerous opportunities for students to reason and think their way through problem situations. The mathematics presented here is interesting, useful, and worth studying. One of the author's principal goals in writing this text was to get students to feel the same way.