Turn off pop up menu

How do we turn off the menu that pops up over what we're trying to do when we're at the bottom of the page?  This menu has selection tool, hand tool, zoom, thumbnails, page formatting, etc.  I know this is very informative, but no person has ever liked pop ups, ever.  Why it's the default is beyond me.  And why the constant menu bar at the top is only half occupied such that a pop up is required to offer the other half of the functions is beyond me as well.  Adobe gonna Adobe.

TIA.