I made the slightly foolhardy/masochistic decision to take a graduate course in algebra as an undergrad without having had the required undergrad course in algebra or much other exposure to the subject. The text for the class was Lang's Algebra, so I was soon looking for something that I could actually follow. This book is absolutely amazing. It reads like a book written by a mathematician for a student, rather than a book written by a mathematician for a professor or, worse, by a publisher for a university. That alone makes it precious. But the exposition is also so careful and well-organized that it feels like your brain was designed to learn this stuff. Professor Pinter doesn't waste your time or take potentially confusing shortcuts. Just trust him; start reading at the beginning and do the exercises. The way that he builds your knowledge removes almost all frustrations. The truth just unfolds before you as you work through. It's magical. I made it halfway through the book in 2 days and had a blast. Finishing the rest took a couple of weeks, and the story was inspiring. After telling the undergrad algebra class about the book, several of them reported similar experiences.<br><br>I only wish that he would write books about everything that I want to learn. :^)