Product Description
The Italians have a secret. Over the centuries, they have pioneered more than 300 shapes of pasta, each with a history, a story to tell, and an affinity for particular foods. These shapes have evolved alongside the flavors of local ingredients, and the perfect combination can turn an ordinary dish into something sublime. The Geometry of Pasta pairs more than one hundred authentic recipes from critically acclaimed chef Jacob Kenedy with award-winning designer Caz Hildebrand's stunning black-and-white designs to reveal the science, history, and philosophy behind spectacular pasta dishes from all over Italy.

Packaged in a crisply designed black-and-white hardcover (complete with a dust jacket that unfolds into a poster of pasta shapes and patterns), The Geometry of Pasta is a one-of-a-kind cookbook unlike anything you've ever seen! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another reason to hate geometry
After hearing the author of The Geometry of Pasta on public radio, I was interested enough to order the book. What I was hoping for was a book that would teach me about the various pastas and how to use them. While the recipes look like they could be fun, I have no idea what the pastas look like. The graphic images are artsy, but useless. They are black and white, not gray-scale, and look like art deco wallpaper or bed sheets I saw at Target. If I want to know what the pasta looks like, I will need to do a Google image search to help me figure out what the book is showing.

A Pasta Anthropology ... and then Dinner :)
As the full title states, "The Perfect Shape + The Perfect Sauce = THE GEOMETRY OF PASTA," so the talents of book designer Caz Hildebrand + London chef Jacob Kenedy = this terrific book.

Part history-of-pasta and part cookbook, it begins with an overview of pastas (southern Italian peasants' plain semolina to wealthy northerners' incorporation of egg and different starches) and tomato sauces (also varying from light to rich), and the concept of matching the delicacy/sturdiness of a pasta to that of a sauce. And then comes that geometry -- the actual pairings of those shapes and sauces via a 270-page alphabetic encyclopedia of dozens and dozens of pasta shapes, including:

* A short history of each pasta (referencing climate, culture and politics/economics), for example that intricate pastas were made "when housewives had to fill long winter evenings," and the delicate and haughty pastas of the Renaissance, which "specialist nuns would make in their convents";
* A b/w graphic of its shape (see page samples near the book's cover image, above);
* In some cases, recipes for making that shape of pasta at home;
* In all cases, recipes for sauces/fillings suited to that shape;
* Suggestions for other sauces (an Index makes it easy to locate sauce recipes).

I'd expected this book to be glossy and slightly oversized, so was surprised to find it the size and construction of a hardcover novel. While that doesn't sound like a book to be taken into the kitchen and later wiped down, you'll want to do so -- it contains recipes for every level of cook, from quick sauces with a few common ingredients, to sauces involving a dozen ingredients and progressive steps that are mini-tutorials in cooking technique. They include olive oil and/or butter and a wide range of fish, fowl and meat. Most serve 2-4 people as a main course; some serve 6-8 and a few feed a crowd. But even if you're an armchair foodie with little intention of preparing the recipes, this book's design and interesting (even amusing) discussion make it a delightful read. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

Geometry textbook never received
I ordered the book. The seller was paid and I never received it. The seller sent me a report showing the tracking of the transaction, but I still do not get it.
Will I lose the money?

Fast shipping, as described!
Fast shipping, text book was as described, smooth and easy transaction. Need I say more?

Helpful on my job
I do a lot of roof estimating on my new job.I have to calculate siding and roof covering and the angles get tricky, especially when working of blue prints.I found this really helpful.Also, the lettered exercises at the end of each section go from easy to difficult--allowing for a gradual increase in skill. Finally, the logic appendix at the end is a great introduction to proofs and to the mathematical field of logic. I used this book for my job, and it saved me! Also addition, its early introduction of proofs guarantees a successful continuation and comprehension of the essence of geometry.

saved money!!
This Geometry book was in great condition.Nearly New Condition.New books purchased from school were twice as much!!

A strong, traditional Geometry book
I was a high school math teacher, specializing in teaching Geometry, for over a decade before becoming a stay-at-home mom and private math tutor.This was the book that I taught out of for many years. It's emphasis on proofs helps to strengthen student's minds in a way "modern" Geometry books don't.Yes, proofs are hard, but they train the brain in a way that no other high school math class does.Finally, students can learn WHY formulas and other math rules work and not just because "the teacher says so."My daughter will be taking Geometry in the fall, but I wanted to make sure she really learned the subject so bought this book to work in this summer. ... Read more

Product Description
An ingenious problem-solving solution for befuddled math students.

A bestselling math book author takes what appears to be a typical geometry workbook, full of solved problems, and makes notes in the margins adding missing steps and simplifying concepts so that otherwise baffling solutions are made perfectly clear. By learning how to interpret and solve problems as they are presented in courses, students become fully prepared to solve any obscure problem. No more solving by trial and error!

• Includes 1000 problems and solutions
• Annotations throughout the text clarify each problem and fill in missing steps needed to reach the solution, making this book like no other geometry workbook on the market
• The previous two books in the series on calculus and algebra sell very well ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Geometry self help book
Geometry self help books are good for those who need extra tutoring to understand geometry problems.

Lots of great problems, but not for math classes
These books do indeed have a tons of good math problems, but I was hoping to use them as reproductions for my math class.Each page of problems has the entire worked out solution included with the problem, so there is not much mystery as to the answer.The solutions are detailed, and readable with a cartoon look to them.I might use some of the problems, but I wish I could xerox them for my students.

Terrific Book!
Exceptional book for high school student taking an honors geometry class..have bought a few over time and most are just lists of problems with answers in back..but this one actually goes step by step thru a well orchestrated sequence of problems and does a terrific job explaining them. Great coverage of the years content + good preview of basic algebra materials needed to be succesful in Geo.

another excellent help book in the "Humongous" math book series
This is another great help book in the "Humongous" math book series.There are so many problems that are solved with step by step explanations, diagrams and notes in easy to find areas of geometry.It is a great book for getting help and explanations for any particular problem area a student may encounter.The "Humongous" math series books are by far the best math books I have ever looked at.

Used this book for tutoring a student in geometry this summer
I used this book in conjunction with the Jurgenson and Brown Geometry textbook this summer to tutor a student who needed to pass an entrance exam in geometry so that he could take Algebra II next semester.He passed with a 95.

I'm a math teacher and tutor, and own the entire Humongous series.I've also been a professional indexer, and I can tell you that I appreciated the care taken with the index (and also the large font used - a nice treat, in comparison with the usual tiny-print indexes!).

There *is* a chapter on logic and proofs, but it's not extensive.However, proofs don't seem to have the emphasis they had back when I studied geometry in the 60's, so it shouldn't be a problem for the modern student.

It's odd that Amazon doesn't provide a view of the table of contents for this book.
I found a website that does provide one - go here:
[...]

I definitely recommend this book for those wishing to learn geometry.It even begins with refresher material on the algebra and rational numbers you'll use in geometry.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

received very quick, and in the condition as stated
i was very pleased with this experience and would purchase books from them again in the future.

Will order from Amazon again
When we ordered our son's "Geometry: Reasoning, Measuring, Applying" book from Amazon, we were quite satisfied with the condition of the book and how quickly it ended up coming! We will be using Amazon again!

don't listen to any thing u hear
i am a student and this is what I needed, but when I got it, it wasn't really what I wanted. I know they say there isn't much difference but there IS indeed, I mean in every chapter you will not see Virgina but you will see new york in every single chapter! I'm not sure about the other stuff but this guy didn't really tell the truth.

I love this book!
I am a relearner of geometry, having been years since I have been in high school.A lot of new stuff is in this text than what I remember.I love the "Key Concepts" which identify the main idea I have to learn.The theorems and postulates are well written and thoroughly explained.There are several ways to review concepts. I do wish the answers to the "Guided Practice" problems, which help to learn from the examples, were in the back of the book.As a self-study learner, I find the text easy to understand and would recommend this edition.

As far as the review about how the postulates "cannot be proven," On page 9 the text says postulates are "accepted without proof."Also, there is no problem #24 on page 306.

Too easy
This book is way too easy, especially for a high school geometry class.There aren't any proofs over 3 steps in the whole book.I want my students to learn how to reason logically through a proof, not how to see that since two triangles share a side by the reflexive property they are congruent (with the other given information).I had to create my own curriculum for the proof section because of how easy it is.

I saw another review on here talking about postulates vs theorems, and its true.This book tries to tell the students that SSS and ASA are postulates... they're theorems!And, to back track, who defines 'point', 'line' , and 'plane'... Euclid, being one of the only things we criticize him for, and this book!really?

On the up side, this book as a lot of extra resources for the teacher.The teachers edition is packed full of extra materials, lesson plans, unit plans, and hands-on activities.

This book does go through many important topics that I have seen missing in other geometry books, but the bottom line is that it is TOO easy and there are too many mistakes giving incorrect information. ... Read more

Product Description

The Fractal Geometry ofNature is a mathematics text. But buried in the deltas and lambdasand integrals, even a layperson can pick out and appreciateMandelbrot's point: that somewhere in mathematics, there is anexplanation for nature. It is not a coincidence that fractal math isso good at generating images of cliffs and shorelines and capillarybeds. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

A great insight into the world of fractals
This is a great book for someone looking to discover what all the hullabaloo is about fractals.It provides a wonderful insight into the mind of one of the great mathematical geniuses of our time, Benoit Mandelbrot.I think some people will find his writing style a bit too stodgy, almost arithmetical, but I find it interesting.I especially appreciate how marks off when he's going to be tangential with special brackets.Mandelbrot doesn't delve into too many rigorous mathematical proofs of the various topics he discusses.He broaches each subject in such a way that should be accessible to people from a wide array of sciences and disciplines.I don't recommend this book if you're trying to figure out how to create simple fractal programs.But I enthusiastically recommend it if you want to learn more about fractals, discover a new way to think about and understand nature, or are simply looking for a good bit of erudition.

A fractal is by definition
A set for which the Hausdorff Besicovitch dimension strictly exceeds the topological dimension.

The definition of a fractal pretty much sets the tone for the book. There are mostly definitions and monochrome diagrams to explain the more classical fractals. The book does shows some practical geometric uses for fractals but I would not let it get anywhere near my Koch Curve.

I am not being kind to this book as there is a color section in the center. That shows "The Great Wave" by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-12849.) And an extensive reference section.

The book its self could easily be used as a text book for school.

Fractals: Hunting the Hidden Dimension (Blu-ray) [Blu-ray]

An Eye For Fractals: A Graphic And Photographic Essay (Studies in Nonlinearity)

How We Mandel
This book is the latest version of a book the famous Benoit Mandelbrot wrote back in the mid-1970s, in which he coined the term "fractal". The subsequent version was released around 1980 and had, among other pictures, a black blotchy image on a white background which he called "the µ-map". Then some joker started calling it "The Mandelbrot Set" and he had to change the book again.

It is true that this is not the best-written book on fractal geometry. However, for a time it was the ONLY book on fractal geometry, and as such has incredible historic value. Imagine in ancient Greece where people had to borrow one of Euclid's latest scrolls to read about things found in no other work.

Personally, this book has taught me only a few things. I had already learned about fractals from articles in 1980s issues of Scientific American, and computer programs in Compute! magazine.

Many black-and-white images suffuse this tome, though there are some color plates which are by no means as complex as today's fractallographies, but will serve as an introduction to the genre.

The only Mandelbrot Set image is the blotchy one mentioned earlier. That's because Dr. Mandelbrot, though he discovered the set, wasn't the first to color the complement, and it was Heinz-Otto Peitgen's 1984 book "The Beauty of Fractals" that has the first color Mandelbrot pictures.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book for a glimpse into history, and the uninitiated may learn something as well; though I wouldn't demand that much of it.

A fractal is by definition
A set for which the Hausdorff Besicovitch dimension strictly exceeds the topological dimension.

The definition of a fractal pretty much sets the tone for the book. There are mostly definitions and monochrome diagrams to explain the more classical fractals. The book does shows some practical geometric uses for fractals but I would not let it get anywhere near my Koch Curve.

I am not being kind to this book as there is a color section in the center. That shows "The Great Wave" by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-12849.) And an extensive reference section.

The book its self could easily be used as a text book for school.

Fractals: Hunting the Hidden Dimension (Blu-ray) [Blu-ray]

An Eye For Fractals: A Graphic And Photographic Essay (Studies in Nonlinearity)

item as promised
it took a long time to get to me but it was delivered as descibed, great condition... good seller ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

review for Geometry: Practice workbook with examples
nowhere does the description mention that the text is required to understand what is going on in this workbook. I believed it to be a standalone and it is not. It was a tremendous waste of my money and time and I feel cheated!

A teacher's assistant's review
I am a teacher assistant for a teacher that plans her lessons around this workbook.Instead of taking notes she goes through this workbook to teach the lesson.This is a good idea because the students are taking more time learning instead of worrying about writing everything down.However, this is NOT the workbook to do this with.I will agree that it covers a lot of good material and has some good examples, but the parts meant to "teach" are terrible.All of the problems are fill in the blank.Any math educator should know that there are MANY different ways to solve one algebra problem.Well, when solving for an unknown angle in a triangle, this workbook has fill in the blank spaces for solving the equation.Something like: __x + 2 = 3__ + x.I even had to step back and try and figure out what the workbook wanted for each blank because it sometimes would solve equations in a completely different way than I would think to do.Therefore, the students only see one way and we miss out on class discussions of how their classmates solved the same equation.The worst part is, when they get to a problem on their homework were they have to do everything themselves (no fill in the blanks) they are lost.This is especially prevalent in the sections on proofs.The workbook presents 3 different ways to write proofs, 2-column, flowchart, and paragraph (though 2-column is the mostly used)Anyway, the workbook also does fill in the blank proofs.Even MORE so than with algebra equations, proofs use reasoning and creativity.The fill-in-the-blank method takes both of these aspects out of the proof writing process.When my students took their first quiz where the proof was NOT fill in the blank, they were stuck, didn't know what to do and I had to make the proofs extra credit.After that I got rid of this workbook and started teaching them how to do work on their own.

I understand that this is just a 2 dollar workbook, but if you plan on getting a resource for your students to use, do NOT order this workbook!The only thing this workbook teaches the students to do is be dependent on being given TOO much information.Get something else that teaches students to reason on their own and make connections between relationships in ways that makes sense to them... not just the one way that this workbook forces the students to do.

Geometry Workbook
I don't believe this book was very helpful.No answers in book or explaination of problems.Shipment was quick.

Geometry workbook
Wonderful price .Fast delivery. What more can you ask for. I have told numerous parents about purchasing their kids school books from Amazon.The process is fast,easy and reliable.Your site will be our 1st stop when purchasing books in the future. Thank You !!!

geometry workbook
covers good material but the only solutions are to the examples.the follow up problems after the example do not have solutions. i was disappointed by that. ... Read more

Product Description
Learning geometry doesn’t have to hurt. With a little bit of friendly guidance, it can even be fun! Geometry For Dummies, 2^nd Edition, helps you make friends with lines, angles, theorems and postulates. It eases you into all the principles and formulas you need to analyze two- and three-dimensional shapes, and it gives you the skills and strategies you need to write geometry proofs.

Before you know it, you’ll be devouring proofs with relish. You’ll find out how a proof’s chain of logic works and discover some basic secrets for getting past rough spots. Soon, you’ll be proving triangles congruent, calculating circumferences, using formulas, and serving up pi. The non-proof parts of the book contain helpful formulas and tips that you can use anytime you need to shape up your knowledge of shapes. You’ll even get a feel for why geometry continues to draw people to careers in art, engineering, carpentry, robotics, physics, and computer animation, among others.You’ll discover how to:

• Identify lines, angles, and planes
• Measure segments and angles
• Calculate the area of a triangle
• Use tips and strategies to make proofs easier
• Figure the volume and surface area of a pyramid
• Bisect angles and construct perpendicular lines
• Work with 3-D shapes
• Work with figures in the x-y coordinate system

So quit scratching your head. Geometry For Dummies, 2^nd Edition, gets you un-stumped in a hurry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Good overview but it doesn't give you any problems to work.
This is a good overview of basic geometric concepts.It even shows some proofs worked out.The problem is that it doesn't give the reader any problems to work out on their own. You can't learn math by passively reading a book.You have to work problems.

The author has another book called "Geometry Workbook For Dummies".That book provides several exercises for the reader in each chapter.The reader will get practice in both writing proofs and solving geometry problems using algebra.

In addition to the practice it provides, "Geometry Workbook For Dummies" has almost identical text to "Geometry for Dummies".

So in the end there is no need to buy "Geometry for Dummies".Save yourself the money and just buy "Geometry Workbook For Dummies".You'll get nearly the same text with problems to work out also.

workbook for dummies no good!
This book does not explain very good in detail the concepts of geometry or algebraic equations. It is for an advanced person in mathmatics. I found the Abeka "PLAIN GEOMETRY" the best book for learning and teaching geometry. Don't waste your money on this book. I have both books for dummies workbook and text if anyone wants to buy for 1/2 price and they are new condition..Thanks....

A Good Book but Not the Best for Young People
We got this book out of the library and there aren't any exercies in it. Then at Back to School night the teacher recommended Tutor in a Book geometry book.We got that book and my daughter did well in the class (she got a B and math is very hard for her). Hope this helps.

Very Concise and Helpful
This is where we found out about the Tutor in a book geometry book. We got the yellow Dummies book and the tutor book book and my son is passing the class, finally. Thank you reviewers for your help.

Geometry For Dummies (For Dummies (Math & Science))
I bought this book to help my grandson with his 6th grade homework. Very helpful and answered our questions easily. He has used it almost daily. ... Read more

Product Description
Anticipating the New York State Board of RegentsÂ' new examination in geometry, this brand-new classroom text presents a detailed review of all topics prescribed as part of the high school curriculum. Separate chapters analyze and explain: the language of geometry; parallel lines and polygons; congruent triangles and inequalities; special quadrilaterals and coordinates; similarity (including ratio and proportion, and proving products equal); right triangles and trigonometry; circles and angle measurement; transformation geometry; locus and coordinates; and working in space (an introduction to solid geometry). Each chapter includes practice exercises with answers provided at the back of the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Used it last year, scored well above 90 on the Regents
This review book might be a little too comprehensive for last minute review, but it works well as a supplement to the class. Some students find certain concepts to be difficult to grasp at first take, so this book provides good all around exposure through examples and Regents-level practice questions. I used this book to prepare for the June '09 Geometry Regents (the first administration of the exam after the transition from Math A/B) and scored well above 90 on the exam. Would not recommend it for last month review, but would rather purchase it some time early in the year to help thoroughly review topics one by one, taking a more systematic approach as the exam gets closer and closer.

a teacher but whole years material
this is a great book but suggest to buy long time before regents because its practically everything the teacher taugt in class

Well Written Complete and Way Way Too Long for My Students
This is a well presented review of geometry and for students preparing for a comprehensive final or the New York State Regent's Exam, it is good to see the practice exam in the back. But this book is too long. If I could get a student to read this book, I could get them to read our text the way it should be read.

Here's the problem. Kids flunk geometry because they won't take the time to learn, much less understand, the language of geometry (definitions, theorems, postulates). For help in learning and understanding what high school (and junior college) students need to learn to be successful, I recommend Tutor in a Book's Geometry. (And for Algebra 1, Garlic Press' Books 1 and 2).

For the SAT's there are only 14 geometry problems so the Barron's geometry section in its SAT Review book is best.

It just seems to me, that as good a job as Leff does with his Geometry review, no student that I have had who had the discipline to read through all this material, would need to read it to begin with. I do think Leff did a fine job in presenting a comprehensive review for test preparation, especially for a student who as we say in education, "didn't hear the music the first time". But either a dedicated parent or a tutor would have to continuously monitor the student's progress or I doubt very much that the average student will even bother to read it. Unmotivated students need more visuals and encouragement and graphic organizers (TIB's Geometry has all of that). ... Read more

Product Description
Known for many years as BarronÂ's Easy Way Series, the new editions of these popular self-teaching titles are now BarronÂ's E-Z Series. Brand-new cover designs reflect all new page layouts, which feature extensive two-color treatment, a fresh, modern typeface, and more graphic material than everÂ-- charts, graphs, diagrams, instructive line illustrations, and where appropriate, amusing cartoons. Meanwhile, the quality of the booksÂ' contents remains at least as high as ever. BarronÂ's E-Z books are self-help manuals focused to improve studentsÂ' grades in a wide variety of academic and practical subjects. For most subjects, the level of difficulty ranges between high school and college-101 standards. Although primarily designed as self-teaching manuals, these books are also preferred by many teachers as classroom supplementsÂ--and for some courses, as main textbooks. E-Z books review their subjects in detail, and feature both short quizzes and longer tests with answers to help students gauge their learning progress. Subject heads and key phrases are set in a second color as an easy reference aid. BarronÂ's E-Z Geometry covers the "how" and "why" of geometry, with examples, exercises, and solutions throughout, plus hundreds of drawings, graphs, and tables. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

well organized, easy to follow!
I bought this book as a supplement for my 9 year old who excels in math and loves exploring math in different forms. We just go over a few pages every day. The flow is great. It introduces the essentials of geometry, just the right amount for introduction purpose. It help building good fundamental knowledge. Strongly recommend it!!

Not very good
I got this to help with geometry and to be honest it was not very helpful. I wanted something that could go more in depth then my textbook and this said just about the same exact thing as my textbook. If you are just trying to brush up on your math by yourself it may help you but if you are a student looking for some extra help this will not aid you at all.

Don't judge a book by it's cover...
I was extremely disappointed in this book. Not even halfway through the first chapter I was completely confused. If you're like me, you want to know why something is, and how do you explain it in a way that's understandable. I had a horrible time understanding the way in which they explained how to label an angle etc. On a brighter note, I think this would probably be a useful text to use with another source, such as an actual geometry textbook. I also tried Geometry for Dummies which was not very easy to understand either. Maybe Geometry just isn't! :p I finally decided to purchase the "Geometry Demystified" which of all three books, seems to be the most informative.

A very dry read, definitely not easy
I don't recommend this book for beginners.First it's the kind of book where you have to read the chapters several times before you 'get it'.The exercises are complicated and confusing.For someone who hasn't picked up a geometry book in decades - look elsewhere.

Perfect
This book is exactly what I was looking for it help my daughter with sophomore geometry. Would highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description

Schaum's has Satisfied Students for 50 Years.

Now Schaum's Biggest Sellers are in New Editions!

For half a century, more than 40 million students have trusted Schaum's to help them study faster, learn better, and get top grades. Now Schaum's celebrates its 50th birthday with a brand-new look, a new format with hundreds of practice problems, and completely updated information to conform to the latest developments in every field of study.

Schaum's Outlines-Problem Solved

More than 400,000 sold!

This review of standard college courses in geometry has been updated to reflect the latest course scope and sequences. The new edition includes an added chapter on Solid Geometry and a chapter on Transformation, plus expanded explanations of particularly difficult topics, as well as many new worked-out and supplementary problems.

Customer Reviews (3)

Abysmal typesetting
The content seems okay.Free versions of Euclid Elements are available, though, as PDFs.

The typesetting is terrible, though!Every single image and math font and mathematical character is done with the following problems:
1.Blurry.
2.Faint.
3.Differently sized than the line it is in.
4.Heavily pixellated and blocky.

For example, there is one line that contains "... OA, OB, and OC ..." -- and these three items are in 8-point, 16-point, and 28-point type.There are dozens of typesetting problems like this on every single page.

Every single geometric line is heavily pixelated, instead of crisp.

This book saved my bacon!
This book condenses out the fluff from a typical textbook, and details solution methods for almost every conceivable problem.The price is a STEAL compared to hundred-dollar textbooks.If you are struggling, or if you want a great book to use before that big test, you have to get this book.I'm getting all A's on my Geometry tests now, and their concise explanations helped solidify new concepts.

not for kids
The thing I like about the Schaum's series is that they don't try to be your friend.If you're going to try to sit down to learn something intricate like geometry, you've got some serious work to do, and the sooner you get to it the better.To this end, there are no pictures in the book (other than geometric diagrams, of course), no blurbs on famous geometers or famous applications of geometry.No, this sucker's as dry as a bone.

But that's good.This is a book for motivated, adult learners.You've got your explanations, your worked examples, and then tons of exercises with answers to all of them in the back of the book - not just the odd.The thing I like about this book, now in its fourth edition (white cover), is that it takes an example-exercise approach to geometry, rather than forcing you to memorize postulates.

Even if your teacher is the most entertaining guy in the world, you're still going to have a lot of tedious work to do if you plan on mastering geometry.The way this book is laid out is an accurate reflection of that.

They say that many of these Schaum's outlines, while they might be helpful supplementary material for a course, do not go deep enough to replace the course itself.I would disagree if that charge were leveled against this one:Schaum's Geometry easily provides everything you'd get in a high school geometry course and more.

The only criticism of this book that I can muster is the following:of all the major branches of math, geometry is one you kinda need a live teacher for.For this reason, the Schaum's approach -- in parts -- is unsatisfying.The whole Schaum m.o. of humorless exercises, dry explanations, no pictures, etc. can work very well for algebra, calculus, trig, etc.

But geometry is a different beast.In particular I'm thinking of proofs.Since the Greeks, teachers have laid out postulates for their students, then given them a statement and asked them to prove it.This supernal art is really why I love geometry so much:it's like practice in thinking, and it's why I recommend it to people who want to improve the caliber of their minds even if you don't need math for anything.To quote Greg Mankiw, "Math is good training for the mind. It makes you a more rigorous thinker. . . . Your math courses are one long IQ test. [Colleges and companies] use math courses to figure out who is really smart."To which I add that math -- viewed this way -- properly begins with geometry.

Of course, Schaum's does ask you to do proofs.The problem is, it should not be the student himself who judges if the steps of his proof were fully articulated or not:for that, you need a real live human.If, alone in your garret, you write "Segment AB is congruent to CD" for one step of the proof, but then find that the answer key has it "Segment AB is congruent to CD by the definition of congruent segments," do you give yourself the point?

In other words, being an autodidact might be okay in other math areas, but the whole power of geometry hinges largely, I submit, on some unpleasant Other forcing you to articulate a proof without getting sloppy.

But I don't see how there's much that Schaum's can do about that.Still a fantastic text.

NOTE:The first two chapters of this workhorse used to be a review of basic algebra, but not anymore as of the 4th edition.This was unfortunate.Why did they delete them?Schaum's owns the material:what was the harm in letting them stay in?These chapters have been replaced by a one-page "warning" enumerating all the algebra you will probably need to negotiate this book.But here's the problem:if you don't feel comfortable with some of it, you are referred to Schaum's Outline of College Algebra.The problem with THAT is that the latter book more or less circularly assumes you're familiar with basic geometry, the point of this book!So Dr. Thomas, if you're still at the reins, please put those two chapters back if you put out a 5th edition. ... Read more

Product Description
Whether you're new to geometry or just looking for a refresher, this completely revised and updated third edition of Geometry Success in 20 Minutes a Day offers a 20-step lesson plan that provides quick and thorough instruction in practical, critical skills. Stripped of unnecessary math jargon but bursting with geometry essentials, Geometry Success in 20 Minutes a Day is an invaluable resource for both students and adults. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A MUST!
Okay, first of all, most geometry books for high school and college cost around $150, weigh more than a brick, and are filled with so much fluff that its impossible for students to remember it all and any teacher to effectively cover every aspect of every chapter unless he/she goes through the book very fast which will leave the student behind.

This book on the other hand is basic and to the point. It cuts out all the unesseccary fluff and covers the basics for geometry in a fashion that will leave the reader comprehending everything. Its written to the point that anyone could grasp the fundamentals of geometry. One of the best things I like about this book is that each page is very open with a lot of white space and is not crammed with a bunch of visual garbage which makes it easier for the eyes to follow.

The examples are very clear and shows the reader step-by-step how to work through each problem so they will be prepared to take the quiz at the end of the each chapter.

As for my personal opinion, I highly recommend this book for people who need a quick and easy refresher in order to prepare themselves for the harder more in-depth geometry courses in college. It also serves great as a reference. This book will build the basic foundation of your geometry studies. Also, I think that this book, combined with the Practical Math, Algebra, and Trigonometry versions are the best 4 books you can buy to prepare yourself for the ASVAB test. The books are small, to the point, and are all you really need to know to succeed.

Simple and easy, overall very good--would like more of it!
I bought this book for my teen daughter who is having trouble in her h/s Geometry class. My daughter is a gifted student, but put her in a classroom with a caring yet inaccurate teacher and watch those grades sink!This is especially troublesome when the teacher is giving incorrect information and mis-grading papers.My daughter's head was spinning--the teacher said one thing, the school textbook said another.End result: disenchanted, frustrated, and failing student (in a class full of failing students)!

Anyway, this book starts at grade 5 math (just as a very brief refresher) and quickly but easily glides into high school math. By page 28 my daughter was helped immensely with some of the concepts that were poorly explained or completely overlooked by her teacher. It has bolstered daughter's courage to know that she is not a complete math dummy (she is straight A's in Algebra 2). Armed with a new sense of mastery, she is going to have a conference with the teacher and review each and every incorrectly graded question on her prior exams.

The only "con" I have---and it is not a "con" at all but rather a plea to the author--is that there are only *SOME postulates and SOME examples given--none very agebraic, as far as I could determine.I wish the book had continued in its format and gone into the slightly deeper and more complicated "stuff".The book would be a real winner and it would sell many more copies if the author done so.An ideal format would have been to leave each chapter as it is, but add another 2 or 3 pages onto each chapter as optional--going into a TAD more detail with a couple of basic algebra equations for each.The author would pick up a bunch more readers because there is a HUGE market of students who need SAT/ACT
prep but not at the really complicated (translation: scarey) level of those big, fat, heavy Barron's/Peterson's/Kaplan's guides.

Hopefully the author is reading this post and will revise the book--it's very worthy of doing so!

*Rest assured, there is an ENTIRE list of postulates and theorems at the end of the book.

Great for GED prep, but not enough for SAT prep
Can you explain the difference between a ray and a line segment? What's the formula for calculating the volume of a pyramid?Does the phrase "distance = the square root of the square of X2 - X1 plus the square root of Y2 - Y1" mean anything to you?If not, you need this book - NOW.Here's why...

This book teaches you not only the theorems of geometry, but also its vocabulary.The 20 lessons are presented in a logical order, building on each concept in a sequential way.The lessons really only take about 20 minutes to complete and they are structured to give you enough chance to practice each concept so that you get it without getting bored.

When it comes to SAT prep, however, it falls short and here's why...

SAT problems are complex, involving at least two geometrical theorems to solve one problem.This book does an excellent job of presenting the theorems one at a time so that you can practice them, but it never gives you the opportunity to practice multiple theorems at once.For example, a typical question on the SAT might show a figure of a circle with a square overlapping part of it.You are told that the perimeter of the square is 24.The question asks you to give the area of the circle.Where do you begin to answer a question like this?To solve it you must first find the radius by finding the length of each side of the square.To do that, you must know the basic theorem that the perimeter of a square is 4x the length of each side (p=4s), then you have to solve for the unknown length of each side of the square, thus giving the radius of the circle.From there you must use the radius to find the circumference to solve for the area... you get the idea.

If you couldn't answer the questions at the beginning of my review, PLEASE get this book to use as a solid starting point for your geometry studies, but you'll do yourself a disservice if you rely on it as your only learning tool.

Bottom line: this book is hands-down the best tool for gaining a solid learning of the basics of Euclidian geometry. Completing the lessons in this book will give you a foundation solid enough to pass your a G.E.D., but this book alone won't prepare you enough for the SAT.

Geometry-success in 20 minutes a day
I am a homeschooling mother of 2 high school students.I have been teaching geometry but with great difficulty.It has been 30 years since I have taken geometry and it was not a happy experience then and a strugglenow.We do use a regular textbook but they are not always as clear a Iwould like them to be.I have been using this book as a back up inteaching the basics.They are clearly presented and easy to grasp.Eachchapter presents a concept with self tests to make sure you understandbefore you go on the the next idea.It is a great suppliment to ourtextbook and a good review for the GED test. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

It was good
the book had writing on it but thats what the description said so it was good and just how I order it.

Perfect
i got this book in just a couple of weeks and it was in better condition then the books at my school
good job
heavily recommended

Good book / Fair condition
The book was in poorer condition than I expected but it was worth the price. Service was prompt.

Ok but costly
I purchased this book because I needed it for an graduate education class.The book is ok, and its website for students is helpful, so it it ok as a high school text book.But what I needed was a soft cover version of this book at a reasonable price.Hard cover versions make sense when purchased by school systems which need the book to last several years.But others, like graduate students and parents, would like a soft cover version at a more reasonable price

An challenging, yet confusing book
Good:
Easy-to-understand examples
First half of the book are comprehensible

Bad:
Second half of the book are vague
The examples has nothing to do with some of the questions
... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Geometry For Enjoyment text book
The book was exactly as described, and arrived quickly. We purchased this extra copy so that our daughter wouldn't have to carry her school textbook with her home everyday. She and her back are very happy with the purchase.

Satisfied Customer
I was very pleased with the timely delivery of the book, the accurate description of condition and the price.I am more than happy to recommend this seller.I would order from the seller again in the future!

An Excellent Geometry text
I took Geometry at New Trier (where all of the authors taught) with Dr. Whipple's wife as my teacher back in 1980-81 (the year that the first version of this textbook came out ... we were the test students for it and reveled in finding errors). I'm not sure whether I agree with the reviewer who said that it requires a good teacher (certainly I was blessed to have one of the very best), but I am amazed at how the book has stood the test of time. My children are growing up hundreds of miles from New Trier, but since I kept books like this one, plus every assignment, test and quiz associated with it, I have literally been able to recreate the experience. I doubt that I teach it as well to my children as the Whipples do/did, however my daughter is doing decidedly better than I did (and at a younger age). Perhaps I give the book too much credit, perhaps my experience with it is inextricably linked to having one of the authors as a teacher, but the year i took this course with this teacher changed my life (the year before I received failing grades in Algebra, the year after I finished the Trigonometry class at New Trier with a 104% average (extra credit)). In any case, as I now teach this material to my children, I am VERY impressed by how easy the book is to follow as a textbook, how well the discussions lead to the sample problems which then logically lead to the problem sets. The progression of concepts it employs is equally impressive, leading the reader through the subject in a very logical manner. As I look at it now, I think it really is a "Goldilocks" text (not too hard, not too simple, just right) and I have found it indispensable in educating my children about Geometry. It has my strongest possible recommendation for any young person wanting to learn this subject.

Excellent Service !!!
I was amazed that I ordered the book and requested for "Normal Delivery". I was amazed that the book arrived within two days after I placed the order. This is very efficient and I love it. The book itself was in good shape as informed by the seller. I would definitely purchase another book from the seller in the future.

Excellent!!!
This book is in very good shape without any damage on it.
It is clean, neat. ... Read more

Product Description
Geometry is one of the oldest mathematical subjects in history. Unfortunately, few geometry study guides offer clear explanations, causing many people to get tripped up or lost when trying to solve a proof—even when they know the terms and concepts like the back of their hand. However, this problem can be fixed with practice and some strategies for slicing through all the mumbo-jumbo and getting right to the heart of the proof.

Geometry Workbook For Dummies ensures that practice makes perfect, especially when problems are presented without the stiff, formal style that you’d find in your math textbook. Written with a commonsense, street-smart approach, this guide gives you the step-by-step process to solve each proof, along with tips, shortcuts, and mnemonic devices to make sure the solutions stick. It also gives you plenty of room to work out your solutions, providing you with space to breathe and a clear head. This book provides you with the tools you need to solve all types of geometry problems, including:

• Congruent triangles
• Finding the area, angle, and size of quadrilaterals
• Angle-arc theorems and formulas
• Touching radii and tangents
• Connecting radii and chords
• Parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting lines and planes
• Slope, distance, and midpoint formulas
• Line and circle equations
• Handling rotations, reflections, and other transformations

Packed with tons of strategies for solving proofs and a review of key concepts, Geometry Workbook For Dummies is the ultimate study aid for students, parents, and anyone with an interest in the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A good introduction to geometry with a few weaknesses
"Geometry Workbook For Dummies" has two types of chapters.One type helps you construct geometric proofs and the other type has you solve geometric problems using algebra.

Most of the chapters that focus on proofs are very good.The only exception is Chapter 7 on similarity.That chapter presents very weak examples on how to prove similarity and use similarity in proofs.The author never really develops the notion of similarity with respect to how it is used in proofs.The author informs the reader that there are three ways to prove triangle similarity:AA, SAS~, and SSS~.Unfortunately, the author only demonstrates how to use AA to prove similarity.

Throughout most of the book the author is very good about being consistent in his use of theorems and definitions in proving two-column proofs.However, in chapter 7 problem #9 the author gives the reader a two-column proof but then solves it in a way that can best be described as hand-waving or cheating.Mathematically he is correct but the point is that the reader is supposed to learn how to prove things axiomatically.Not side step using definitions and theorems because it might take awhile.(He admits in step-2 of the solution that he is taking a short-cut because doing the problem properly would take too long.)

Other than the weakness of chapter 7, I would say that this is a pretty good introduction to geometry. It would also make a good supplement to a geometry course.

As a side note, the author has another book called "Geometry for Dummies".Don't buy that book.It has virtually the same text minus the problems for the reader to work out.

Do NOT PURCHASE
This book does not explain very good in detail the concepts of geometry or algebraic equations. It is for an advanced person in mathmatics. I found the Abeka "PLAIN GEOMETRY" the best book for learning and teaching geometry. Don't waste your money on this book. I have both books for dummies workbook and text if anyone wants to buy for 1/2 price and they are new condition..Thanks....

My Husband Says its Concise (Good)
My son was barely passing geometry and we were so worried. Actually we bought the Dummies book and the Tutor in a Book book (that I thought I had read about in a review right here). Anyway, my husband liked the yellow book, my son and I liked the blue book, and I had to share with the world that my son got an A on his test before last (trignometry?), and a B- on the last test. After fighting the geometry wars all year (a C- in first semester, a dear teacher who doesn't speak English as well as I'm sure she will in a year or two) we were all very happy.

Good Stuff
My daughter says this has been very helpful in providing her extra practice and another reference point for the parts she's not quite getting.The only "negative" would be having to purchase another book due to this one referencing the other.

Geometry Workbook for Dummies
I'm a home educator who is always looking for good curriculum.I am currently using "Geometry for Dummies" as well as a version of Euclid's Elements, but my kids were still having difficulty with proofs in general. Initially, I bought this book for the mixture of problems and proofs, but the layout of information (Postulates, Properties and Theorems) is easier for my kids to grasp too. Very well-arranged and a great addition to the other books I am using. ... Read more

Product Description
multiple choice, test-taking strategies, quantitative comparison, multi-step problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

bad
there is no answer keys in the any where of the book, I can not have my son use it at all.

Great Book No Answers
Great Test Practice problems, but doesn't have an answer key for any of the questions.I bought this to write my final for a class I teach and there was no answer key, so I had to find the correct answer for every question ... Read more

Product Description
When it comes to pinpointing the stuff you really need to know, nobody does it better than CliffsNotes. This fast, effective tutorial helps you master core geometry concepts -- from perimeter, area, and similarity to parallel lines, geometric solids, and coordinate geometry -- and get the best possible grade.

At CliffsNotes, we're dedicated to helping you do your best, no matter how challenging the subject. Our authors are veteran teachers and talented writers who know how to cut to the chase -- and zero in on the essential information you need to succeed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

To the Point
This book is stripped down and to the point, which is exactly what I needed to do a thorough review.I would have rated it a "5" if it had more "Test Yourself" questions...but that's a personal preference (don't let it stop you from ordering this book).

Geometry ebook
Geometry Quick Study Guide - FREE Geometry Background and Triangles chapters in the trial version

This is a great ebook. The author provides us with simple yet understandable and memorable explanations of what is what and why.

great for reviewing
I am involved with tutoring and haven't looked at geometry for MANY years. I am using Cliff's for review and to supplement more in-depth material.I am finding it great for bringing back the material.

caution
Overall this isn't bad for a rapid summmary
but there are some subtle errors which may
undermine the reader's confidence in the
material (e.g.note altitudes and areas
of the triangles on page 76).

A compact, yet complete review of basic geometry
As a long-time teacher of mathematics at the college level, I am always trolling for additional/better materials to help students learn mathematics. Since I am not a fan of the Cliffs Notes series, I hesitated before purchasing this book in a used book store. However, once I started looking through it, I realized that it is a very good review of basic geometry.
It begins with the fundamental postulates and immediately goes to some basic theorems, although no proofs are offered. The chapters are:

*) Fundamental ideas
*) Parallel lines
*) Triangles
*) Polygons
*) Perimeter and area
*) Similarity
*) Right triangles
*) Circles
*) Geometric solids
*) Coordinate geometry

There are a small number of exercises at the end of each chapter and a summary exam at the end of the book. Solutions to all exercises are included. If you need a fast, complete review of geometry, then this is an excellent selection. However, it has little value if you are trying to learn geometry.
... Read more

Product Description
The author demonstrates how solving geometric problems amounts to fitting parts together to solve interesting puzzles. Students discover relationships that exist between parallel and perpendicular lines; analyze the characteristics of distinct shapes such as circles, quadrilaterals, and triangles; and learn how geometric principles can solve real-world problems. Titles in BarronÂ's Painless Series are written especially for middle school and high school students who are having a difficult time with a specific subject. In many cases, a student is confused by the subjectÂ's complexity and details. Still other students simply finds a subject uninteresting, an attitude that usually results in lower grades. Painless titles offer informal, student-friendly approaches to each subject, emphasizing interesting details, supplementing the text with amusing insights, and outlining potential pitfalls clearly and step by step. Students begin to understand how disparate details all fit together to form a clear picture. Timelines, ideas for interesting projects, and Â"Brain TicklerÂ" quizzes in many of these titles help to take the pain out of study and improve each studentÂ's grades. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Not recommended
My son went through Painless Algebra and it was a good book. Naturally, we tried to use this book from the same author. Disappointed. The book is simply not well written. This sounds very general but it's an appropriate way to "generalize" it.

For example, on pages 13-14, it introduces concepts of inductive proofs and deductive proofs. The introduction itself is pointless and cluelessly done at the beginning of the book. On pages 14-16, it gives almost 20 geometric symbols without explanation of concepts behind the symbols. For someone new to geometry, it's just too much. On Chapter 2, page 23, it introduces the concept of angle. Then on page 30, without any mention of degrees of a line and a circle so far, the book uses exactly these two concepts to get the measurement of an angle larger than 180 degree ("reflex angle"). Then strangely, on the next section, the book introduces the concepts of right angle, obtuse angle, straight angle, etc, which should be done earlier. Also, the book simply does not put any emphasis on right angle, which I believe that a clear understanding of the concept is extremely important to get real traction on geometry (for example, trig is almost exclusive on right triangles).

Another example on last chapter. On page 261, it gives midpoint formula, without any explanation why. Several pages late, it gives the distance formula, without explanation again. Then after introduction of these two relatively difficult formulas, the book takes great pain to show how to graph a line by plotting points, which is pretty easy to understand and to do. Like in Painless algebra, the book insists to graph three points to get a line, while two points are suffice. It's laughable to talk about graphing a line so late in a book when such concepts of trapezoids, area, volume, chords, tangents, and Pythagorean Theorem, etc. have been covered way earlier.

Similar examples are plenty. To summarize again, this book is not well written. For beginner, to find another book to start; for students to get better understanding of geometry, find a book more systematic and deeper in presentation of concepts, formulas.

REVIEW FROM THE AUTHOR
I am the author of PAINLESS GEOMETRY and PAINLESS ALGEBRA.I read past reviews about the errors in the book and for that I apologize.I want you to know that the new edition of the book published in 2009 is essentially error free. I have put a lot of thought into creating PAINLESS GEOMETRY so that it could teach geometry painlessly.Each example and exercise was chosen to teach both obvious and hidden lessons.I have taught high school and college math, served as a school principal and have written twenty math books. I thnk PAINLESS GEOMETRY is the easiest and best constructed book on the market.I hope you give it a try.

Math Wiz Simplified
Great tool for young mathematicians new to Geometry.Supplements school textbooks -- exercises in the book facilitate review of concepts learned in class.

Have you used this book?
I've been meaning to write a review to respond to those on this page for a while.I guess I have used so many math books that contain an error or two that I just can't possibly throw away such a good book over that.

The fact is that we homeschool and my son LOVED this book which we picked up at the library.It is full of wonderful, hands-on work and SIMPLE explanations that make geometry easier to understand than most other books we tried - yes, truly understand because you not only had it explained well, but also "did" something on paper or folding paper to experience it.

He enjoyed it so much that when I picked up another Painless book at the used book store, he wanted to start it that day, rather than waiting 'til next semester.

So I don't know if y'all just glanced at the book or really tried it, but this family tried it and loved it - and I own a red marker so I can cross out the one incorrect answer I found in my edition!

Not Very Good
On page 16, it is stated that the area of a circle is pi times the diameter.Is there anybody out there who DOESN'T know that the area of a circle is pi times the square of the radius?That error wouldn't such a big deal, except that there are plenty more to come.I don't recommend this book to anyone. ... Read more

Product Description
Geometry is one of a group of special sciences - Number, Music and Cosmology are the others - found identically in nearly every culture on earth. In this small volume, Miranda Lundy presents a unique introduction to this most ancient and timeless of universal sciences. Sacred Geometry demonstrates what happens to space in two dimensions - a subject last flowering in the art, science and architecture of the Renaissance and seen in the designs of Stonehenge, mosque decorations and church windows. With exquisite hand-drawn images throughout showing the relationship between shapes, the patterns of coin circles, and the definition of the golden section, it will forever alter the way in which you look at a triangle, hexagon, arch, or spiral.

Small Books, Big IdeasHistorically, in all known cultures on Earth, wise men and women studied the four great unchanging liberal arts -numbers, music, geometry and cosmology-and used them to inform the practical and decorative arts like medicine, pottery, agriculture and building. At one time, the metaphysical fields of the liberal arts were considered utterly universal, even placed above physics and religion. Today no one knows them.

Walker & Company is proud to launch Wooden Books, a collectable series of concise books offering simple introductions to timeless sciences and vanishing arts.

Attractively simple in their appearance yet extremely informative in content, these unusual books are the perfect gift solution for all ages and occasions. The expanding title range is highly collectable and ensures continuing interest. In addition, the books are non-gloss and non-color, appealing to a greener book-buying public. Wooden Books are ideally suited to non-book outlets.

Wooden Books are designed as timeless. Much of the information contained in them will be as true in five hundred years time as it was five hundred years ago. These books are designed as gifts, lovely to own. They are beautifully made, case-bound, printed using ultra-fine plates on the highest quality recycled laid paper, finished with thick recycled endpapers and sewn in sections. There are fine, hand drawn illustrations on every page.

The fast-moving world of Wooden Books brings you a selection of fascinating titles. All hardcover, 64 pages, 100% recycled paper at $10.00 each. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Fun, basic, no knowledge needed
This is a small but fun book - no mathematical knowledge needed, somefun geometric figures to draw using just a ruler and compass (and if you don't have an urge to draw some figures with a ruler and compass, I'm not sure why you're looking at this book!).

One curious line struck me (p. 46 ): "Everything is made of light, all matter is, ...". I don't think she should confuse people with her physics, since I don't know what universe she's talking about here. The rest of the book seems accurate -I wish she'd stuck to math a little more and mysticism a little less, but the book does have "sacred" in the title, so I can't really complain.It was interesting enough that I might look for more books in this series.

Sacred Geometry
As an Art Teacher, I found this a great book for breaking down the somewhat complicated subject of Sacred Geometry.Get a ruler a protractor and follow the author's instructions and what was once difficult will become much easier to understand and practice.You will need a little background of basic geometry to get started but the effort is well worth it.

Fast start
This is the book that you want to read if you want to get to know the basics in a fast way. Well written and nice presentation. Well worth the price.

A good introduction to Sacred Geometry principles.
This book will appeal to students of many esoteric traditions as an introduction or review of sacred geometry principles. It is written for the layman and the pictures help to explain the text. A nice, short book which can be read in one evening over a cup of tea.

easily describes the symbolism in common shapes and patterns
Ever since reading "Sacred Geometry" I am much more aware of the shapes that surround us in our everyday life. This was a concise, compact book that easily describes the symbolism in common shapes and patterns. I only wish it had more information.
Tracey L. Ulshafer, author "Butterfly" ... Read more

Product Description
Stimulating collection of unusual problems dealing with congruence and parallelism, the Pythagorean theorem, circles, area relationships, Ptolemy and the cyclic quadrilateral, collinearity and concurrency and many other topics. Arranged in order of difficulty. Detailed solutions.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Intuitive Guide
This book is suitable for anyone who want to learn advanced high school geometry or want to participate in any mathematical contest and have to learn much though not really new on it. The problems are set from the quite easy to advanced, with many of them are quite simple so you don't get frustrated because you can't do any of the problems. It covers the basic and common problems in math contest.

Unfortunately, it don't have good set of theorems. Sure, it's written on the back but they're not easy to navigate. Also, many of them are not really basic even for contest geometry. Like its title, 'Challenging' is sure quite challenging, since many of the problems, though not really hard, need deeper thinking and you need to draw the 'help line' to solve the problem. The hints written on the back is not really helpful.

Overall, for those who want to improve skills, participate in contest, or teacher who wants to make a surprise test, this book is a really good source of information.

Really, - Challenging Geometry
This books presents a lot of problems to solve. One challenge after another, you can find several problems and better still if you get stuck, you have hints that really help in solving the problems, and one, sometime two or even three different ways of solving it.
As written at Plato's academy, for geometers only, you have to be willing to spend sometime doing geometry.

Learning geometry from the principles
I liked this book very much. I solved every single problem in the book with two students that I tutor for International Math Olympiads and carefully read the hints and solutions proposed at the end of the book. They really teach how to "attack" geometry problems using simple stuff like angle chasing, drawing parallel lines etc. I cannot recommend this book more to the readers with some mathematical sophistication. I even have a suggestion for parents that have some sort of mathematical background (engineers, bankers, doctors, etc.): If you want to spend quality time with your children, get this book and enjoy solving the problems together. I cannot imagine a more amusing pastime. I am looking forward to seeing new titles from the authors.

Very good after the basics
This is a great book! But, don't buy it if you don't know the basics well. You'll get frustrated easily and leave geometry. For beginning this is what I recommend: [...]

Firstly, don't try a problem for 10 minutes and then just look at the solution. This way, you'll gain nothing from the book. You HAVE to try these problems for at least an hour (some may even take up to 2-3 hours)if you can't solve them. You can, however, break this up into pieces. For example, sit for about 15-25 minutes with one line of attack and then if couldn't solve it, then come back when you have time and give a try with another line of attack. And, let me tell you, when you do solve a problem after trying it for 1-2 hours, it'll be motivation enough to move on to the next problem.

I especially like this book because I can hide it under my desk at school :)

Also recommended is Geometry Revisited (buy it with this if you can).

Problems and solutions
Posamentiers' book is a little bit unbalanced. It contains around 200 problems with solutions. The easy problems are just what you would expect in the exercises sections of an introduction to Euclidean geometry like Kiselev's Geometry / Book I. Planimetry. The the harder problems you will find as classical theorems and examples in more advanced texts like Altshiller Courts' College Geometry: An Introduction to the Modern Geometry of the Triangle and the Circle (Dover Books on Mathematics). A more balanced text would have contained more intermediate problems and the harder ones would have been more "original".

The methods used are purely synthetic, no analytic geometry. The book is aimed at an advanced high school level audience. Prerequisite is the stuff you find in a book like kiselev I mentioned above.

If you need a book to train your geometric problem solving abilities I think that Altshiller Courts' book is a better choice although there are no solutions to the exercises in that book. Butwhat use are the solutions? Problems should be solved and not looked up!

For many problems, especially the hard ones, several solutions are provided. To me this is what makes the book attractive. ... Read more

Product Description
An introductory textbook on the differential geometry of curves and surfaces in three-dimensional Euclidean space, presented in its simplest, most essential form, but with many explanatory details, figures and examples, and in a manner that conveys the theoretical and practical importance of the different concepts, methods and results involved. With problems at the end of each section, and solutions listed at the end of the book. 99 illustrations.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Excellent, but Challenging, Introduction
I strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for an introduction to differential geometry. This book restricts its coverage to curves and surfaces in three dimensional Euclidean space, which is highly appropriate for a first book on the subject. Beyond that, nothing is held back. This book includes a self-contained introduction to tensorial methods in chapter two, and tensors are used heavily in the remainder of the book, which makes this book much more suitable for anyone interested in studying general relativity than a book that tries to limp through the same subject matter using only vector methods.

In fact, all of the basic elements that are necessary for the study of general relativity are introduced in this book and in the simplest possible setting.

This book includes exactly 99 figures and a large number of examples which are extremely helpful in understanding the material and as other reviewers have remarked has numerous exercises with full solutions in the back of the book. There is also a collection of formulae at the end which makes for a good review and enhances the book's usefulness as a reference.

The definitions are explicit and the proofs are quite clear. However, the proofs do make references to the theory of differential equations and to results in complex variable theory in a couple of places.

Downsides? While the exposition is excellent, it is a bit terse. Towards the end, there is a lot of flipping back to look at referenced earlier formulas. In addition, small steps are omitted from many derivations. Also, there is a section on the Bergman metric that seemed completely tangential to the rest of the material in the book.

Here's a breakdown of the contents:

Chapter 1 is preliminaries. It provides a quick review of vector methods and fixes notation.

Chapter 2 is the theory of curves in the three dimensions. Topics include: arc length, the tangent vector, the principal normal vector, curvature, binormal vector, torsion, Frenet's formulas, spherical images of curves, the canonical representation of curves, orders of contact between curves, natural equations for curves, involutes and evolutes, and more.

Chapter 3 introduces surface theory and covers the first fundamental form, normals to surfaces, and an introduction to tensorial methods. This introduction is good, self-contained, and covers only the tensor calculus that is required for the rest of the book. Tensors are presented using index notation rather than the more modern -- and for me at least usually less clear -- abstact notation. The Einstein summation convention is introduced immediately and used throughout except in formulas where it is explicitly suspended.

Chapter 4 covers the second fundamental form, gaussian and mean curvature for a surface, Gauss' Theorema Egregium, and Christoffel symbols.

Chapter 5 is about geodesics and also covers the Gauss-Bonnet theorem.

Chapter 6 studies mappings and provides good coverage of various types of mappings of a sphere into a plane such as conformal and equiareal. It also covers conformal mappings of three space.

Chapter 7 discusses absolute differentiation and parallel transport. It also has a section on connections in general. Absolutely key material for understanding general relativity.

Chapter 8 tackles special surfaces such as minimal surfaces, modular surfaces of analytic fucntions of one complex variable, and surfaces of constant gaussian curvature.

This book absolutely requires a strong background in multivariable calculus and differential equations. In addition, some exposure to complex variables is recommended.

I strongly recommend this book for any scientist or engineer looking for an introduction to differential geometry. If this book proves to be too much, then I'd suggest looking at a book that makes ues of only vector methods for some additional background before returning to this book. Finally, the price is hard to beat!

a question about 2nd fundamental form mixed tensor
In the book 'differential geometry' by Kreyszig, a result is frequently used
about the principal curvature k1, k2. For example, we know that gaussian
curvature K=k1*k2.

When lines of curvature (curves with principal curvature as tangents)
coincide with coordinate curves, it can be shown k1 = b_1^1, the first
element of a mixed tensor with degree 2 and 1 covariance indice. (p.131)

The author then equate k1 = b_11/g_11, k2=b_22/g_22. And this result is used
in several places. Here is what I am having trouble with.

b_u^v = b_uc g^cv, by summation rules, my result is b_1^1 = b_11*g^11 = b_11
/g_22, not b_11/g_11...

The relevant text can be found on page 131, 137-139. Can someone help me out
with this? It doesn't look like the author is wrong but I can't figure out
why..

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I am giving this book a 5 star because of the sheer intellectual wealth it possesses. There are 2 complaints, 1) typos, at times they really made me scratch my head and I had to find references to make sure it's a problem with the book, e.g. the definition of 'asymptotic curve'; 2) terseness, I wished the author could be more verbose at times to explain the geometrical implication of certain theorems, e.g. the Gaussian-Bonnet theorem, too much formula not enough explanations...

The best book of Differential Geometry ever written !!!
It is written in a clear cut and concise manner.
It is unlikely that another author will be able to write a better book in Differential Geometry. Guggenheimer's, also by Dover, is the second best but by far.

I have bought Advanced Engineering Mathematics by Kreyszig just because I was impressed by the way this author writes, but I was dissapointed, it was not that good.

I am an Engineer.
A fellow Engineer who doesn't like theoretical books may not share my point of view.
A mathematitian who is -as always mathematitians are- theoretical may also not share my point of view.

Old Fashioned
I read the first couple chapters, trying to learn differential geometry on my own.The approach that this text uses seems a bit dated.Most of the terminology used isn't frequent in modern math texts.If you're an undergrad and interested in the subject, I found that the Springer book by Andrew Pressley is a much nicer option for self-teaching.It has a modern feel to it, and all the exercises have hints or solutions in the back, so you can check your work, or get help when stuck.

Very well written and informative
If I hadn't seen much worse and somewhat better,
I would have given this five stars.
What it lacks is a good classification of curvature types, a discussion of Willmore surfaces, and solitons, but as an introduction it is pretty complete
and the price is very good. As a contrast to how bad such books can be I give the Link:Differential Geometry, Lie Groups, and Symmetric Spaces (Graduate Studies in Mathematics) ... Read more