The given equation is a quadratic equation which can be solved by factoring the left-hand side of the equation:
(x + 2)(x - 7) = 0
The product of two factors is equal to zero if and only if at least one of the factors is zero. So we can set each factor to zero and solve for x:
x + 2 = 0 or x - 7 = 0
Solving for x in each case gives:
x = -2 or x = 7
Therefore, the solutions to the equation (x + 2)(x - 7) = 0 are x = -2 and x = 7.