Many books in linear algebra focus purely on getting students through exams, but this text explains both the how and the why of linear algebra and enables students to begin thinking like mathematicians. The author demonstrates how different topics (geometry, abstract algebra, numerical analysis, physics) make use of vectors in different ways and how these ways are connected, preparing students for further work in these areas. The book is packed with hundreds of exercises ranging from the routine to the challenging. Sketch solutions of the easier exercises are available online.