The popularity of Linear Algebra Done Right (IMO) comes from two sources: 1. Excellent exercises. Challenging. Really make you put the concepts together. 2. G

The popularity of Linear Algebra Done Right (IMO) comes from two sources: 1. Excellent exercises. Challenging. Really make you put the concepts together. 2. Good, opinionated pedagogy. If you agree with the philosophy (among other things, determinants are not a beginner tool), the explanations are good. LADR is hardly the only book to eschew determinants for a long time. IIRC Lang takes a similar approach, but is not as digestible.