Classic Algebra combines history, pedagogy, and popularization in a unique way to produce a unified and coherent picture of algebra. It is an excellent source for readers to grasp the essence of algebra as a whole, including how it has developed and what it has developed into. The book answers questions such as: What is algebra about? How did it arise? What uses does it have? How did it develop? What problems and issues have occurred in its history, and how were those problems solved and those issues resolved? Most of these questions do not get answered, or even raised, in courses in algebra and those that do get raised in algebra courses are generally neglected in courses in the history of mathematics.