Hornsby/Lial College Algebra

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Hornsby

When John Hornsby enrolled as an undergraduate at Louisiana State University, he was uncertain whether he wanted to study mathematics, education, or journalism. His ultimate decision was to become a teacher, but after twenty-five years of teaching at the high school and university levels and ten years of writing mathematics textbooks, both of his goals have been realized. The 1999 Graphical Approach Series brings his writings to a total of 32 books he has co-authored since 1990. His love for teaching and for mathematics is evident in his passion for working with students and fellow teachers as well. His specific professional interests are recreational mathematics, mathematics history, and incorporating graphing calculators into the curriculum.

John's personal life is busy as he devotes time to his family (wife Gwen, and sons Chris, Jack, and Josh). He has been a rabid baseball fan all of his life. He followed the Cleveland Indians for forty years before they were good and now is rejoicing in their glory. He believes, like many others, that "baseball is life."

John's other hobbies include numismatics (the study of coins) and record collecting. He loves the music of the 1960s and has an extensive collection of the recorded works of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

Marge Lial

Marge Lial was always interested in math; it was her favorite subject in the first grade! Marge's intense desire to educate both her students and herself has inspired the writing of numerous best-selling textbooks.

Marge is a familiar face at mathematics conferences held across the country. She has served on various boards and committees in a lifelong effort to keep student needs at the forefront of mathematics education.

Marge is an avid reader and traveler. Her travel experiences often find their way into her books as applications, exercise sets, and feature sets. She is particularly interested in archeology. Trips to various digs and ruin sites have produced some fascinating problems for her textbooks involving such topics as the building of Mayan pyramids and the acoustics of ancient ball courts in the Yucatan.

Marge, who received Bachelor's and Master's degrees from California State University at Sacramento, is now affiliated with American River College.