After 15 years of doing math, I've decided that, for myself, the best introduction isn't the one that's "rigorous" or "in-depth", it's the one the leaves you wanting to learn more. For me, that was Colin's book. I wish more topics in math had entry-level books that explicitly helped contextualize why certain questions were being asked, rather than defining undergraduate simply by what material is covered/how things are proved (of course, I ended up as an applied mathematician, so it could just be me).
I had a class with Adams while at Williams (multivariable Calculus, never got to take his Knot Theory class). He was a great teacher, and excellent about teaching students why they should care.