SELF-CONTAINED SECTIONS. Coordination, solid state, and descriptive inorganic chemistry are presented in self-contained sections. The reader can begin in any one of these sections without becoming frustrated at references to material already learned. These self-standing chapters also allow instructors the flexibility to present material in any order. * A FOCUS ON UNDERSTANDING THE PERIODIC TABLE. The author systematically builds a network of interconnected ideas to develop reader confidence and to forge an understanding of the periodic table. * "THOUGHT" QUESTIONS. These questions, embedded within the body of the text, encourage students to construct and organize ideas, thought patterns, and concepts, and to go beyond merely memorizing groups of facts or trends. Students must "think" their way through the material. * A FOCUS ON PROBLEM SOLVING. Approximately 1,000 problems challenge students to apply what they have learned to new situations and aid in building a deeper understanding of the material. In addition, a significant number of problems require short explanatory paragraphs, emphasizing the importance of writing in the discipline of chemistry. * A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. A historical perspective is integrated throughout the text to give students an increased appreciation of the centuries of human endeavor that have led to our present understanding of the chemical world around us.