This does not mean that ideas will be compromised for the sake of simpler presentation. Important ideas can be simply presented - but we will not be able to make rigorous proofs of some important ideas at this level. It is traditional to assign problems in an economics class and not to assign much writing. Your ability to communicate is probably even more important than your ability to remember fundamental economic laws, so this course will require written work, including a typed paper and some essays. Here, the goal is not just to learn economics, but to also help you write better memos or reports and to present ideas persuasively to other people.
Writing is also a good way to learn material.
There are many introductory texts in economics. The text by William Baumol and Alan Blinder was chosen because I feel it is one of the finest introductory texts available at the college level. But, there is keen competition in the textbook market. Please let me know of any problems you find with the textbook. At least the authors can be informed and the market may provide a better text in the future.