This review discusses the properties and behavior of 20 X-ray binaries containing dynamically confirmed black holes, with 17 of them being transient systems. Over the past decade, these sources have been observed daily during their year-long outburst cycles using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). The evolution of these transient sources is complex, but common patterns can be identified. The review focuses on three X-ray states of accretion: thermal, hard, and steep power law (SPL). It also discusses phenomena such as relativistically broadened Fe lines, high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (100–450 Hz), and relativistic radio and X-ray jets, which provide insights into how black holes interact with their environments. The review highlights the potential impact of timing and spectral studies of accreting black holes on physics, particularly in measuring black hole spin. The paper concludes with a discussion on the unified model for radio jets and the quiescent state, emphasizing the importance of X-ray states in understanding the behavior of black-hole binaries.This review discusses the properties and behavior of 20 X-ray binaries containing dynamically confirmed black holes, with 17 of them being transient systems. Over the past decade, these sources have been observed daily during their year-long outburst cycles using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). The evolution of these transient sources is complex, but common patterns can be identified. The review focuses on three X-ray states of accretion: thermal, hard, and steep power law (SPL). It also discusses phenomena such as relativistically broadened Fe lines, high-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (100–450 Hz), and relativistic radio and X-ray jets, which provide insights into how black holes interact with their environments. The review highlights the potential impact of timing and spectral studies of accreting black holes on physics, particularly in measuring black hole spin. The paper concludes with a discussion on the unified model for radio jets and the quiescent state, emphasizing the importance of X-ray states in understanding the behavior of black-hole binaries.