e99 Online Shopping Mall

Geometry.Net - the online learning center Help  
Home  - Pure And Applied Math - Geometry (Books)

  Back | 21-40 of 100 | Next 20

click price to see details     click image to enlarge     click link to go to the store

$3.48
21. Geometry Demystified
$9.28
22. Geometry For Dummies (For Dummies
$80.07
23. Multiple View Geometry in Computer
$12.39
24. Geometry:Answer Key to Study Guide
$20.86
25. Elementary Differential Geometry
$80.95
26. College Geometry: A Problem Solving
$9.67
27. Challenging Problems in Geometry
$15.86
28. Geometry to Go
 
$7.22
29. Janice VanCleave's Geometry for
$11.46
30. Advanced Euclidean Geometry (Dover
$26.00
31. Computational Geometry in C (Cambridge
$42.50
32. Geometry: Integration, Applications,
$86.06
33. Euclidean and Non-Euclidean Geometries:
$10.16
34. Math for Mystics: From the Fibonacci
 
$55.82
35. Glencoe Geometry, Student Edition
$4.71
36. Painless Geometry (Barron's Painless
 
$5.39
37. The Geometry of Art and Life
$118.99
38. Understanding Elementary Algebra
$10.54
39. Schaum's Outline of Differential
$89.95
40. Essentials of Geometry for College

21. Geometry Demystified
by Stan Gibilisco
Paperback: 310 Pages (2003-06-27)
list price: US$19.95 -- used & new: US$3.48
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0071416501
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

Customer Reviews (5)

5-0 out of 5 stars Not high-school geometry -- thank goodness!
Well, typically most geometry self-teachning books focus on the topics typically covered in a high school geometry class, which I might add are quite simplistic in nature. I skimmed through this book at my local bookstore out of curiousity (I've had good luck with the demystified series, especially physics, by the same author), and what really caught my attention was the coverage of the elementary high school topics in a lean, mean six chapters with the rest covering hyperspace, warped space, polar coordinates, and basic vector mathematics.

The quizzes are pretty good for reinforcing the concepts...they actually make you think (gee, what a concept)! It'd be nice if there were more of the problems, however (but not as many as Glencoe's books do). The tests really give one a sense of being in a classroom, especially since there's a final exam as well.

This book is a gem, and for $13, you can't really go wrong.

3-0 out of 5 stars This is not high school geometry demystified
I took geometry when I was in high school, and my son will be taking it next year so I was looking for something with which to brush up. This book is not it.

First, it does not have any proofs. This was a huge part of geometry 20 years ago, and I can't believe that they no longer teach proofs in today's geometry.

Second, it goes way beyond high school geometry. The last few chapters cover geometry in 3 dimensions as opposed to just planar geometry, and then 4-Dimensional geometry using time as the 4th dimension, and then touch on how n-dimensional geometry would work. I found this really fascinating, and thus 3-stars, but not exactly the 'geometry demystified' for which I was looking.

4-0 out of 5 stars A pretty good book on learning geometry yourself
For me, I liked this book since it had tests at the end of every chapter to see where you were in that particular topic. I normally just went through each test and tested myself with the multiple choice questions, then gave my answers to a friend to mark (which was easy on their part so that was another plus, since it's simply multiple choice.) If I had less than perfect (yes, I strive to work my best!) then I go back (without looking at what the answers were to the questions I got wrong) and then checked over the chapter again until I think I knew the new answer.

Any how, I think this concept is good; and marking multiple choice questions are very simple to do as well so it doesn't take up too much time from a friend or family member.

5-0 out of 5 stars Just the facts, straightaway
This book presents geometry in a straightforward way. Emphasis is on the facts, without getting sidetracked in proofs, (although the purist might object to the fact that proofs are not given). The drawings are relevant and straightforward. The book is well organized and proceeds logically from beginning to end. There are conversational problems with answers in the text, and lots of multiple-choice test questions with answers in the appendix. The test questions are especially good, because they resemble the standardized tests schoolchildren are forced to take these days. This book, along with with a standard school textbook, should make high-school students highly proficient in this subject, and get them ready for more advanced courses such as calculus and trigonometry. Note: I also have the chemistry, physics, and trigonometry books in the Demystified Series and have found them to be of comparable quality.

4-0 out of 5 stars NOT RECOMMENDED IF YOU NEED HELP IN GEOMETRY
because of the topic coverage. I picked this up because, though a math teacher, I really don't like Geometry. Never have. This book covers some of what a high school student would need in just a few chapters. So, Why aren't I recommending it to students needing help? Because the author completely skips proofs, which is what most students are having trouble with. It also has no chapter dealing with circles and theorems related to them. What it does cover it covers in a highly interesting and original way (why does a stool have three legs instead of four?). It is also filled with topics not covered in a high school geometry course, but which are very interesting on their own. Given the authors other books' titles, this is perhaps "geometry for electricians and hobbyists". If you are someone with bad memories of geometry, but you would like to try revisiting it, then this is highly recommended. It would also be a good outside source for students doing well in Geometry but wanting to read about some higher level topics (including 3 - 4 - and higher dimensional geometry.) The book has loads of multiple choice test questions, so you can see how well you are understanding what you are reading, but it has no detailed solutions in the back--just the correct answers. (techinical point: readers should know that the author teaches polar coordinates "backwards" from the way we teach it in Trigonometry. The form is (r, theta), NOT (theta, r).) ... Read more


22. Geometry For Dummies (For Dummies (Math & Science))
by Mark Ryan
Paperback: 388 Pages (2008-01-03)
list price: US$19.99 -- used & new: US$9.28
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0470089466
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Book Description
Geometry proofs may trip up more students than any other single topic in all of high school math. Geometry For Dummies, 2nd Edition, tackles this problem head on, providing proven strategies for solving geometry proofs when students are stumped.

Students need help getting a handle on what seems to them to be a totally foreign and mysterious process. This book presents a dozen powerful strategies that make proofs much easier for the students who struggle with them. This book contains dozens of examples of places in a proof where a student is likely to get stuck and then provides tips for how to get unstuck.

Mark Ryan has a proven ability to explain concepts in a way that gives students the clearest, easiest, and best way of understanding a concept. For example, instead of routinely listing the properties of various quadrilaterals (four-sided figures) as most geometry books do, relying on rote memory for student learning, Geometry For Dummies,  2nd Edition, explains how these properties (and others) can be learned in a way that fosters understanding.

This new edition also includes detailed explanations of how to work example problems, pinpointing areas that can trick students into misunderstanding the true nature of the problem. ... Read more


23. Multiple View Geometry in Computer Vision
by Richard Hartley, Andrew Zisserman
Paperback: 672 Pages (2004-04-19)
list price: US$95.00 -- used & new: US$80.07
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0521540518
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Book Description
A basic problem in computer vision is to understand the structure of a real world scene. This book covers relevant geometric principles and how to represent objects algebraically so they can be computed and applied. Recent major developments in the theory and practice of scene reconstruction are described in detail in a unified framework. Richard Hartley and Andrew Zisserman provide comprehensive background material and explain how to apply the methods and implement the algorithms.First Edition HB (2000): 0-521-62304-9 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

3-0 out of 5 stars Lots of Good information, not a lot of words
The book has a lot of valuable information for those who are working in computer vision.The book however is fairly terse on many subject and requires careful reading.

5-0 out of 5 stars excellent book
My lab has the first edition of this book. Everyone likes it. That's why we order a second book. I have not read through the second edition yet, but this book rocks!

4-0 out of 5 stars Comment on the first edition
The first edition of this book could have been much better written.It took up a lot of topics, but treated each in a summary fashion.In fairness, though, I must say that this may be as good as any other book with its aim and scope, and better than some.Any writer on computer vision faces the problem of guessing who the reader is likely to be and what the reader's background is.Also, each of the various topics really merits a sizable book.In particular, the mathematics needs a truly mathematical treatment in a separate book.I have not seen this second edition, but there was room for improvement over the first edition.

5-0 out of 5 stars very informative, fairly easy to read
The book succeeds in introducing you to the world of multiple view geometry.Specially the math and geometry concepts associated with it.In my research, I had to work on stereo images and this book provided very good information about it. The algorithms are presented very clearly and have been easy to implement (at least in Matlab).

It's a good reference book to have.

5-0 out of 5 stars A must for readers in computer vision
It is the best book in this area that I have seen up to now.It is well-organized and all the notations and words are friendly to beginners and even experts in this field.Included materials are really tracing the latest advanced techniques.Actually, it is great that there are a lot of exercises at the ends of each chapters but there is no sufficient solutions or detail explanations to each questions. ... Read more


24. Geometry:Answer Key to Study Guide
by Ray C. Jurgensen, Jean A. Giarrusso
Paperback: 112 Pages (1989-10-09)
list price: US$13.20 -- used & new: US$12.39
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0395470757
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

Customer Reviews (1)

5-0 out of 5 stars Very helpful addition to the book - wish it was printed larger though
Very helpful addition to the book - I do wish it was printed larger though in full size pages as opposed to 2 pages to 1.Just means I have to copy each page as a PDF and then blow it up to 200% - Still worth it as if follows the classwork and gives examples for the kids to do. ... Read more


25. Elementary Differential Geometry
by Andrew Pressley
Paperback: 332 Pages (2002-09-18)
list price: US$44.95 -- used & new: US$20.86
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1852331526
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Book Description

Curves and surfaces are objects that everyone can see, and many of the questions that can be asked about them are natural and easily understood. Differential geometry is concerned with the precise mathematical formulation of some of these questions, and with trying to answer them using calculus techniques. It is a subject that contains some of the most beautiful and profound results in mathematics, yet many of them are accessible to higher level undergraduates.
Elementary Differential Geometry presents the main results in the differential geometry of curves and surfaces while keeping the prerequisites to an absolute minimum. Nothing more than first courses in linear algebra and multivariate calculus are required, and the most direct and straightforward approach is used at all times. Numerous diagrams illustrate both the ideas in the text and the examples of curves and surfaces discussed there.

The second edition has extra exercises with solutions available to lecturers online.There is additional material on Map Colouring, Holonomy and geodesic curvature and various additions to existing sections.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

4-0 out of 5 stars Very appropriate for self-study
It's a very good book overall, especially if you like to spend more time reading on your own than in a classroom.

5-0 out of 5 stars Written to teach rather than to impress
I have purchased hundreds of technical books and really treasure the ones that seem to have been written in order to really convey the material rather than impress the reader with how smart the author is. This is such a book. The material is remarkably clear and the author's style strikes me as a notable example of the mathematical writing styles put forth in the articles comprising the text "How to Write Mathematics." For example, the material proceeds in a logical chain such that the reader is never confronted with a term or concept before it has been explained. The notation is defined meticulously and repeatedly so the reader is not forced to continually refer backwards through the text to remember the meaning of the symbols. This also is a boon for "grasshopper readers" who will use the text as a reference, as opposed to a linear reader. Symbols don't change meaning, are not overloaded, and seem to have been chosen for intuitive appeal. For example, a lower-case gamma denotes a parametric function for a curve and, to me, the shape of the gamma suggests the sorts of curves being discussed. In my experience, this book is best in class.

4-0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable text on the subject!
I've been looking for a decent book on differential geometry for years now.Most of the good ones are fairly pricey, or require the reader to have a deep knowledge of mathematics.This fits in neither category.You only need multi variable calculus, linear algebra, and some experience with reading/writing proofs.This book will also appeal to those who want to learn on their own, as every problem has a hint/solution in the back.

2-0 out of 5 stars Dissapointing
The book starts ok, but very quickly deteriorates into the classical boring math style of theorem-proof. There are a million books on the subject matter, and I don't see the need of another one which is pretty much identical. It is not a bad book, but has absolutely no added value - just pick any of the differential geometry books out there, and they will be the exact same thing. Why do they bother writing the same book over and over??

3-0 out of 5 stars (Most) College students will love this book
I am using this book for a 2 semester Differential Geometry course at my university.The school used to use Do Carmo, but apparently the book was too advanced for the undergraduate level, so this semester they decided to switch over to give this one a test and see how it worked out.This book is not bad.It is basically Do Carmo rehashed for the not so mathematically mature.In all seriousness, the book even follows almost the exact same flow as Do Carmo, the topics are just presented with less rigor.The exercises are rather tedious at the end of each chapter, and in my opinion they don't really help to enhance the subject matter.

On the other hand, if you fall in the category that most of the math majors at my university fall in (i.e. the category of people who really don't care, they just want to get an A and graduate, and don't care about mathematics), then you'll love this book.Why?Because the solution to every single problem is at the end of the book.In my opinion this is a huge flaw.It would be great if everyone were honest and everybody was genuinely interested in the learning Differential Geometry, but that isn't the case.So 90% of my class simply copies the answers out of the back of the book and hands it in to get a 100 on the homework assignments.Pretty sad if you ask me.The book is almost there.Without full solutions to every problem, this book would get 5 stars.But those students who simply turn to the back of the book 15 seconds after looking at the problem statement will learn nothing from this book, so I have to knock it down 2 stars.After all, what good is a book if it doesn't serve it's intended purpose.Perhaps some people would rate a book by "how easy is it to get an A in the class if this is the textbook", in which case they would probably rate this book 5 stars.

Differential Geometry is a hard subject.It's _supposed_ to be hard.We're not talking about taking the reciprocal of a fraction here, it's Differential Geometry.You're _supposed_ to think about these problems for a long time.So if you're a professor considering this book for a course I would recommend against it.The text is good, but the students won't learn anything from it.I've suggested to my professor that perhaps it would be good to not assign problems from the text, but rather get problems from other textbooks where students can't look at the answers.

In my opinion that is the only flaw with this book.Otherwise I think it's a great introduction, and about as elementary as you can really make the subject.If another book was too hard, then this is the one for you.

Also, if you're interested in this book for self study it's a good choice since obviously you're genuinely interested in the subject matter and won't be tempted to look at the answer at the first opportunity. ... Read more


26. College Geometry: A Problem Solving Approach with Applications (2nd Edition)
by Gary L. Musser, Lynn Trimpe, Vikki R. Maurer
Hardcover: 656 Pages (2007-03-11)
list price: US$111.60 -- used & new: US$80.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0131879693
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Book Description

For courses in Geometry or Geometry for Future Teachers.

This popular book has four main goals: 1. to help students become better problem solvers, especially in solving common application problems involving geometry; 2. to help students learn many properties of geometric figures, to verify them using proofs, and to use them to solve applied problems; 3. to expose students to the axiomatic method of synthetic Euclidean geometry at an appropriate level of sophistication; and 4. to provide students with other methods for solving problems in geometry, namely using coordinate geometry and transformation geometry. Beginning with informal experiences, the book gradually moves toward more formal proofs, and includes special topics sections.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

4-0 out of 5 stars A solid introduction to geometry that emphasizes learning through problem solving
One of the problems a number of math students face is learning how to think about the problems they face.They simply never develop the necessary tool set that will allow them to understand what the problem is asking and what they should do to attack it.Once they have an answer, they are not sure if they have found the correct answer.This is a fine BASIC text for college and high school students who want to get a handle on dealing with geometry.If you have a deep mathematics background and are looking for an advanced college text on geometry, this is probably not for you.

However, if you want to learn the basics on how to think about geometry and a lot of help on how to solve a variety of geometric problems, this is a terrific text and will be a big help.I enjoy the way the text engages the student from the very beginning and asks him or her to THINK.It isn't a bunch of material to memorize.What the authors do is build the student's understanding through problem solving.If the student will take the time to work the problems and not give up on the problems he or she finds difficult, the understanding will come and will be more ingrained in his or her thought processes than would happen through memorization.

There are lots of geometric drawings, as one would hope, and there are a number of applications of geometry to real life and that should help the student, as well.Again, this is meant as a basic geometry text and can be suitable for a good high school student as well as non-majors in college that want to get an introduction to the basics of geometry.

1-0 out of 5 stars not college level
This book is pitched at an extremely low level
quite beyond anything in the 'math for poets'
category - often dropping below even that of high
school.Indeed, the book compares unfavorably
with the canonical hs text by Jacobs.To give
just one example, it takes the authors 273 pages
to get to the ideaof cross multiplication [a staple
in the repertoire of any decent middle school
student].In particular, math majors as well
as anyone interested in the subject should
steer clear of this and consider instead books by
Pedoe, Court, Coxeter, etc.If you are looking
for a problem oriented approach to geometry, try
the relevant offering in the Schaum's series
[acknowledged masters of this approach].
In the meantime, let's not sacrifice any more trees
for products as weak as this.

5-0 out of 5 stars An outstanding introduction to geometric thought
This is one of the few introductory level texts I have seen that gives some of the real flavor of mathematics, without being too challenging for beginning students.The initial section on problem solving is modelled on the famous book by Polya, "How to solve it," and has many simple but thought-stimulating problems.The following sections develop plane and solid geometry with many illustrated problems and interesting historical notes.The final chapters carefully introduce geometric proofs.There are also review sections on simple algebraic manipulations and basic logic, as well as a short section on the implications of alternate parallel postulates.Overall, the text has a well thought out development of basic skills and concepts, and enough interesting tidbits from more "advanced" topics to challenge the imagination of any student. ... Read more


27. Challenging Problems in Geometry
by Alfred S. Posamentier, Charles T. Salkind
Paperback: 256 Pages (1996-05-21)
list price: US$14.95 -- used & new: US$9.67
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0486691543
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Book 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 (4)

4-0 out of 5 stars 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.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great Problems for Pondering the Greatness of Geometry
In a very well organized fashion the authors have amassed a fabulous collection of geometry problems that are quite challenging indeed.Although most high schoolers will likely have difficulty it can be used wisely as a study tool since they have sections for hints and finally a solutions section.It should be noted that other solutions are possible but the ones given are very easy to follow.A fun time for all geometry teachers (like me) and good students.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great book on geometry.
Geometry problems are my favorite sort of math problems to do, because many geometry problems require, literally looking at the problem in a different way; a slight twist on the facts that you are using and the problem becomes much easier.It's usually a simple, yet ingenious insight that often solves the problem.

To that end, this book does not disappoint. I highly recommend this book, for it contains such problems, and at the end of the first section of problems, I had developed a sort of intuition for Euclidean 'way' of thinking.I am far from finishing this book, but I think it would take me a few years to do so.

The book is broken down into several chapters.The first chapter contains the problems, the next are the solutions, the next are hints to the problem, and finally an appendix of useful theorems and formulas.The useful theorems are mostly the results of Euclid's Book 1 and 3, and the immediate consequences of those theorems, e.g., the sum of the angles of a convex quadrilateral is 360.

The hint chapter may be too helpful for it usually outlines the steps you need.I would have preferred several hint chapters that are progressively more helpful.The solution section may show more than one solution to a problem.There were a few times my solution was not found in the back of the book, but that's not a fault of the book, but a delight if you can come up with an original solution!

The problem chapter is broken down into what I would call fundamentals and advanced sections.There are over 200 problems.

The fundamental section is further broken down into parts, either by method, e.g., similar triangles/pythagorean's theorem, or theme, e.g., problems concerning 'circles' and problems concerning 'areas'.Many the problems can be solved in different ways.The first section of problems can be done with a purely Euclidean style approach.But lots of problems require a *little* algebra, mainly to economize on thought, e.g., a variable place holder for proportions, and a simple formula or two, and of course Euclid's theorems.Each section is not isolated, they sort of build on the first part of this section.

The advanced section has a part containing a 'mixture' of techniques to use, and again themes which may not be familiar to the beginner, e.g., Simson lines, and Ceva's theorem.

The problems are of proof, or finding the measure of a line, angle, area, or finding the algebraic formula for a collection of objects.So far, I have not encountered a single construction problem.Some of these problems may be quite easy to solve, and some can be quite hard!For instance, one of the problems asks you to prove Heron's formula.The Euclidean proof takes several pages, and I would say is beyond that for a math olympiad.Most problems, are of course, not this hard.

You may have a tendency to want to 'angle-chase' or plug and play a formula.Such thinking will cause you to go mad!You'll endlessly try to some up combinations of angles, and construct new ones.Luckily, I broke that habit, and there are enough of these problems for you to break the habit in order to keep your sanity.Find the elegant solution, if you can, and most of these problems have them.And when you do -as George Polya said in "How to Solve It"- you'll see the solution `at a glance'.(It is more rewarding and more difficult, to do away with algebra, and think `purely' geometrically.It's an intuitive appreciation for the problem, and you can hold a longer argument chain in your head.Then, You'll begin to appreciate the qualitative style of thinking that is Euclidean.It's impossible, however, for many cases.)

Also, you will need to have another geometry book handy.There were one or two definitions that were unfamiliary to me, and I could not find them anywhere defined in the book.It would be nice on the next edition if they gave definitions of some of the terms.Dont' be alarmed, they were not technical terms, and more along the lines of'what is a median?'

Finally, these problems are a good starting point for your own investigations into geometry.By varying a problem found in the 'Geometric Potpourri', I was able to finally figure out how to construct a pentagon, which has been stumping me for many years.

To round out your geometry skills, you will also want to do construction problems.I recommend the book 'Geometric Constructions' by George E. Martin, it is text book; so it contains more than just problems, but the problems also require ingenious solutions.(I hope to review this book.)

Mr. Posamantier, please print the next volume!! And for those who obtain this book, happy solving!

5-0 out of 5 stars Superb book
This book is a great one.Invaluable as a supplement to a basic geometry textbook.It includes approximately 200 problems dealing with congruence and parallelism, circles, area relationships, collinearity and concurrency and many other subjects.Detailed solutions and hints are provided for all problems, and specific answers for most.I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great book at an affordable price.Buy it.You won't regret it. ... Read more


28. Geometry to Go
by Dave Bradley, Lauren L. Darling
Paperback: 494 Pages (2001-07)
list price: US$26.00 -- used & new: US$15.86
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0669481297
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

Customer Reviews (1)

5-0 out of 5 stars Geometry to Go
Wow!After my son used "Algebra to Go" as a reference when doing his 8th grade Algebra homework, he asked if we could get "Geometry to Go" before he even started his Geometry class. When a teenager asks for a reference book you know it's got to be easy to use and very helpful. ... Read more


29. Janice VanCleave's Geometry for Every Kid: Easy Activities that Make Learning Geometry Fun (Science for Every Kid Series)
by Janice VanCleave
 Paperback: 240 Pages (1994-07)
list price: US$12.95 -- used & new: US$7.22
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0471311413
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Book Description
How do you fold a sheet of paper into the shape of a whale? How do you measure the area of a pizza pie? How can you draw a circle within a circle without lifting your pencil from the paper?

Now you can discover the answers to these and other fascinating questions about elementary geometry—the study of shapes. Packed with illustrations, Geometry for Every Kid uses simple problems and activities to teach about acute and obtuse angles, parallel and perpendicular lines, plane and space figures, and much more! By arranging the pieces of an intriguing Chinese puzzle called a tangram, you'll explore all the different shapes you can form. You'll also learn how to create a colorful 3-D drawing that seems to rise right off the page! And, by building a geoboard, you'll discover a quick, fun way to compare the area of different geometric figures.

Each of the activities is broken down into its purpose, a list of materials, step-by-step instructions, expected results, and an easy to understand explanation. Every project has been pretested and can be performed safely and inexpensively in the classroom or at home.

Also available in this series from Janice VanCleave:

  • ASTRONOMY FOR EVERY KID
  • BIOLOGY FOR EVERY KID
  • CHEMISTRY FOR EVERY KID
  • DINOSAURS FOR EVERY KID
  • EARTH SCIENCE FOR EVERY KID
  • GEOGRAPHY FOR EVERY KID
  • THE HUMAN BODY FOR EVERY KID
  • MATH FOR EVERY KID
  • PHYSICS FOR EVERY KID
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

5-0 out of 5 stars Janice VanCleave's Geometry for Every Kid
This is a great book. It is offers a variety of activities that not only teach geometric concepts, but are also fun!

5-0 out of 5 stars Great fun with my eight year old!
I bought this for my son who loves math and building things. We've only gone through four chapters so far, but we've had great fun identifying how many right angles there are in his room and folding a oragami whale. This book was a real treat for him. Parents of gifted children should dive into this whole series with their kids, and I think they're great for teaching any kid that math is fun!

5-0 out of 5 stars Janice VanCleave has done a great job as usual !!!!!
Her books teaches geometry using hand-on activities for all grade levels which children love.It teaches form the basics of geometry to the advancements. Teachers and students will both find this book interesting ... Read more


30. Advanced Euclidean Geometry (Dover Books on Mathematics)
by Roger A. Johnson
Paperback: 336 Pages (2007-08-31)
list price: US$17.95 -- used & new: US$11.46
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0486462374
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Book Description

This classic text explores the geometry of the triangle and the circle, concentrating on extensions of Euclidean theory, and examining in detail many relatively recent theorems. Several hundred theorems and corollaries are formulated and proved completely; numerous others remain unproved, to be used by students as exercises. 1929 edition.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

4-0 out of 5 stars A Classic on Euclidean geometry
Recently Dover has reissued two classics on Euclidean geometry, College Geometry: An Introduction to the Modern Geometry of the Triangle and the Circle (Dover Books on Mathematics)and this book by Johnson. Both books were originally issued in the first half of the 20th century and both were aimed at a college level audience. Both of them also have a considerable amount of so called triangle geometry. As triangle geometry has seen a large upsurge the last years there is certainly a need for an English book that gives an overview of the subject. These books are useful in this respect but are out of date. Until a modern treatment of the subject (The Triangle Book by Conway and Sigur for instance, but when when ... ?) will be available, these two books and the resources on the www will have to do. Altshiller Courts' book has a great set of exercises that can be used as a training ground for geometric problem solving. The problems in Johnsons' book mostly ask for proofs of theorems that are ommited in the text (that's why I give 4 stars). If you are interested in the subject, buy both, its certainly value for money.

The book assumes that you are familiar with simple geometrical concepts like congruence of triangles, parallelograms, circles and the most elementary theorems and constructions as can be found in Kiselev's book Kiselev's Geometry / Book I. Planimetry. ... Read more


31. Computational Geometry in C (Cambridge Tracts in Theoretical Computer Science)
by Joseph O'Rourke
Paperback: 390 Pages (2001-02-15)
list price: US$42.00 -- used & new: US$26.00
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0521649765
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Book Description
This is the newly revised and expanded edition of the popular introduction to the design and implementation of geometry algorithms arising in areas such as computer graphics, robotics, and engineering design.The second edition contains material on several new topics, such as randomized algorithms for polygon triangulation, planar point location, 3D convex hull construction, intersection algorithms for ray-segment and ray-triangle, and point-in-polyhedron.A new "Sources" chapter points to supplemental literature for readers needing more information on any topic. A novel aspect is the inclusion of working C code for many of the algorithms, with discussion of practical implementation issues.The self-contained treatment presumes only an elementary knowledge of mathematics, but reaches topics on the frontier of current research, making it a useful reference for practitioners at all levels.The code in this new edition is significantly improved from the first edition, and four new routines are included.Java versions for this new edition are also available. All code is accessible from the book's Web site (http://cs.smith.edu/~orourke/) or by anonymous ftp. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

4-0 out of 5 stars collates useful computational geometric algorithms
If you are perhaps a graphics or robotics programmer, then you will often have need for computing various geometric forms. And the intersections of these forms. Rather than derive algorithms from scratch, you might want to first look here. O'Rourke has collated several useful sets of methods. Germane to two and three dimenions.

Convex hulls are important enough that he devotes 2 chapters to these. While the somewhat related idea of Voronoi diagrams gets its own chapter.

The C code is a nice bonus to some readers. Though if you are experienced enough in another language, you should be able to readily code an algorithm in the book from scratch.

4-0 out of 5 stars Nice balance of theory with code
This book was pleasantly surprising:I had expected to see code presented with minimal motivation or discussion of the underlying ideas -- something of a "Computational Geometry for Dummies" sort of book.That's not the case at all.This is a bona fide textbook on the subject, suitable for an undergraduate course.
It covers all of the the "classical" topics: convex hulls, line segment intersection, polygon triangulation, Voronoi diagrams, motion planning.

The mode of presentation -- supporting a discussion of the theories with implementable code -- is actually a bit refreshing.For comparison:Other books, when discussing the line segment intersection problem (ie: Given a set of line segments, find all of their intersection points) simply assume that computing the intersection of a pair of segments can be done in constant time.This is not an especially difficult problem, but the discussion seems more complete with a brief description of how this might be done.The same can be said about other primitive tests and operations in other algorithms.

Overall, this book can stand alone as an excellent introduction to computational geometry, but a serious student in the subject will want more: perhaps Preparata and Shamos or de Berg et. al.

4-0 out of 5 stars Very hepful
Anyone who is involved in areas such as computer graphics, computational radiology, robot vision, or visualization software should have a copy of this book. The author has done a fine job of introducing the most important algorithms in computational geometry, choosing the C language for their implementation. The choice of C might be somewhat dated now, since C++ is now beginning to dominate computational geometry, but readers who are actually programming these algorithms using C++ can easily extend the ones in the book to C++. Not all of the algorithms in the book are implemented into C, unfortunately, but the clarity of presentation is done well enough to make this implementation a fairly straightforward task. My interest in the book came from a need to design and implement algorithms for polyhedra in VRML and toric varieties in algebraic geometry. This book, along with others, was a great help in that regard. The running time of these algorithms was not really an issue with me, so the detail the author spends on discussing the complexity of the algorithms was not a concern. Readers who need to pay attention to running-time issues will appreciate his discussion of them for the algorithms that are presented.

The ability to visualize objects in an abstract subject like algebraic geometry boils down to, in the case of toric varieties, to a consideration of how to manipulate polytopes geometrically. A major portion of the book, if not all of it, is devoted to the computational geometry of polyhedra. Because it is an introductory book, some more advanced topics, such as Bayesian methods to find similarities between polyhedra, and neural network approaches to classifying polyhedral objects are not treated. Readers who need to do such things will be well-prepared for them after a study of this book. In addition, there are good exercises assigned at the end of each chapter, so the book could be used in the classroom. Some readers will however choose to use it as a reference source, and it would be a good one, for the author gives references to topics that he only touched upon in the book.

Some particular areas that were treated especially well were: 1. The discussion on data structures for surfaces of polyhedra. Although not very general, since he choose to deal with only triangulated polytopes, readers who need to be more general will have a good start in this discussion. 2. The discussion on volume overflow and how to deal with it using robust computation. 3. The discussion, albeit short, of the randomized incremental algorithm. 4. The treatment on the minimum spanning tree and Kruskal's algorithm. Communication network performance optimization is now a major application of this algorithm and others in graph theory, including the author's later discussion of Dijkstra's algorithm.

5-0 out of 5 stars my rewiew
i think that these website is very.it has everything that i need. all of my books are from amazan.

3-0 out of 5 stars okay content, mediocre presentation
This book provides a reasonable introduction to the field of computational geometry, although the notation is sometimes sloppy and the author frequently makes inconsistent assumptions about the reader.For example,on the first page he refers to a circle as a "one-dimensonial set ofpoints," which although valid from a toplogical perspective is alittle confusing in an introductory text.As another example, the firstexercise refers to "every point in dP," presumably meaning justthe corner points (otherwise the problem would be unsolvable).The bookalso sets up a lot of irrelevant mathematical definitions that generallyobfuscate the presentation rather than clarifying it.Although notprohibitive for the ambitious reader, these needless hindrances are at besta little annoying.

Secondly, I must criticize the text's scope, in lightof the important role computational geometry has played in modern computergraphics.There is no discussion of clipping, culling, occlusion (e.g.BSP, octree, OBB), or even non-polygon primitives -- important topicsarguably more useful to the target audience than e.g. convex hulls (towhich over 1/4 of the book's pages are devoted).

Regardless, this book(combined with a professor and a course) probably would serve quite well asan undergraduate text.Readers interested in a cookbook of appliedgraphics algorithms, however, should look elsewhere. ... Read more


32. Geometry: Integration, Applications, Connections Student Edition
by Boyd, Burrill, Cummins
Hardcover: 910 Pages (2000-05-26)
list price: US$89.32 -- used & new: US$42.50
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0078228808
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan

33. Euclidean and Non-Euclidean Geometries: Development and History
by Marvin J. Greenberg
Hardcover: 512 Pages (2007-09-28)
list price: US$105.95 -- used & new: US$86.06
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0716799480
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Book Description

For use in upper-level undergraduate courses in geometry, this classic text provides overview of both classic and hyperbolic geometries, placing the work of key mathematicians / philosophers in historical context. Coverage includes geometric transformations, models of the hyperbolic planes, and pseudospheres. This text is appropriate for several kinds of students--prospective high school teachers, math majors and liberal arts students.



... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

4-0 out of 5 stars Good Geometry Proofs Textbook
This is a good text book.It has lots of clear worked out proofs of propostitions.Many of the exercises at the end of each lesson require that you find proofs of propostions mentioned in the text but were not proven.This book also has good drawings of shapes that explain what the propositions, theorems,and axioms mean.Since I am a student, I personally think the exercises at the end of the chapters are somewhat difficulty to figure out, but for others they might not be.If your professor doesn't explain the material well, you can at least try to understand by yourself using this text.Overall, this is a good textbook.

5-0 out of 5 stars Thanks!
Thank you for the book.It came on time and the condition of the book was very good, which the sender had promised.

5-0 out of 5 stars A wealth of knowledge of geometry
This text provides a wealth of knowledge about geometry. For me, with only a minimum of college level geometry previously studied, it was my first meeting with a rigorous development of any type of geometry, euclidean or noneuclidean. It was very exciting to see how this subject can be so carefully developed. Even though I was exposed to a meticulous construction of real analysis and algebra ,there is quite a difference in the techniques used to develop geometry, which you might anticipate.

Each time I have reviewed Dr.Greenberg's text, I am not only able to retain the material easier, but also to achieve a new level of understanding, which is kind of surprising.

This text is a treasure of knowledge of geometry, but the reader, if not much better prepared than me, needs to understand that digesting this text requires a bit of a committment , but it is well worth the effort.If you are a prior football player, like me, you will probably remember the coach mentioning it will take a 110% effort to win. This is a different way of indicating how tenacious, I feel, you will need to be.

I am really looking forward to reading Dr. Greenberg's most recent edition of this text, which is now available.

2-0 out of 5 stars Hard to get into without a math professor on hand
First of all, I must point out that i am reviewing the second edition of this book. I'm sure the third edition is different, but i think the main points of my review will still hold.

I bought this book because i needed to brush up on my geometry for the California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET) in mathematics. While it is certainly a well written book (I found the historical aspects of it particularly interesting), its major flaw is that there are no answers to the end-of-chapter excercises! This makes the book virtually useless to anyone not in school wanting to learn geometry in their own time (i.e. not for a class). Whilst i managed to do most of the exercises at the end of the first chapter (at least i think i did), it seemed pointless to attempt subsequent problems as they were quite in depth and there would be no way for me to know whether they were right or not! A big improvement would be if the number of problems were cut down (seriously, it would take years for someone to finish all of the end-of-chapter problems!) and something resembling answers was in the back of the book.

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent Condition
I received the textbook within just a few days after placing my order online. The book came new, as was promised. The promptness of the delivery and the quality of the product would definitely persuade me to buy from this seller again. ... Read more


34. Math for Mystics: From the Fibonacci sequence to Luna's Labyrinth to the Golden Section and Other Secrets of Sacred Geometry
by Renna Shesso
Paperback: 193 Pages (2007-04)
list price: US$16.95 -- used & new: US$10.16
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1578633834
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Book Description
A Magical Mystery Tour of Math History

Much of what we know as math comes to us directly from early astronomermagi who needed to be able to describe and record what they saw in thenight sky. Everyone needed math: whether you were the king's courtastrologer or a farmer marking the best time for planting, timekeeping andnumbers really mattered. Mistake a numerical pattern of petals and youcould poison yourself. Lose the rhythm of a sacred dance or the meter of aritually told story and the intricately woven threads that hold lifetogether were spoiled. Ignore the celestial clock of equinoxes andsolstices, and you'd risk being caught short of food for the winter.

"As thoughtful as it is readable, Renna Shesso's Math for Mysticsis the book I wish I had when I first started trying to make sense ofthe mathematics that underlie so much of modern magic and traditionaloccult lore. Not the least of its virtues is the way it makes magicalnumber theory accessible even to those who think they don't like or can'thandle math. It provides a first-rate introduction to a fairly neglectedbranch of magical lore."
-- John Michael Greer Grand Archdruid, Ancient Order of Druids in Americaand author of The Druidry Handbook

Renna Shesso's friendly tone, delightful "math lore," meticulousresearch, and clear information makes math easy to understand. Thismarvelous book begins with the simplest lunary and planetary math and thentackles the most enigmatic of numerical esoterica such as Platonic Solids,the Golden Section, Luna's Labyrinth, and Benjamin Franklin's favorite wayto pass the time, "Magical Squares," akin to the 17th century Sudoku.

For anyone who tried to understand the Fibonacci Sequence of numbersfrom Dan Brown's (son of a mathematician) The DaVinci Code, this book isfor you!

"In times past, math was seen as magic for its power and associations.It was even banned by authorities who thought it a threat--a power that noone else should hold. In this book, that ancient magic is relived, and thepower yours."
-- Jeff Hoke, author of The Museum of Lost Wonder ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

2-0 out of 5 stars Novice material
Very boring and simplistic. This book has very litle depth but an abndance of directions. Buy this if you want a very rough intro to the subject matter there are much more thoughtful and informative books on the subjects presented.

3-0 out of 5 stars Explains a lot !
Good reference/beginning to knowin about things I've heard about for years.Makes you want to know more,

2-0 out of 5 stars New Age Naivety
I hope that I finally learned a lesson when I ordered this book, and that is to not impulsively purchase a new "read" just because you are attracted by the cover art.Maybe we ought score yet another point for the marketing gurus at the book publishers who apparently know how to package their merchandise to achieve increased sales.In the meantime, we can mark down one more big "zero" for the longsuffering, financially-challenged reader.

Now, I am not trying to be cruel and I take no delight in being hypercritical, but seriously, I do not see how anyone can rate this book at the five star level, as some reviewers have done here.One must wonder: if they are eager to score this book with five stars, how would they rate a book by Plato or a collection such as the Bible?

It's okay for what it is, I suppose, but caveat emptor -- despite the visually appealing cover design, any potential buyer of this book by Renna Shesso should be aware that, while it has a few moments of quasi-merit, sometimes brings to light or clarifies a little bit of interesting historic trivia or esoterica, and is certainly easy reading, most of the content is rather vacuous, delusionally profound, neopagan, New Age "feel good" numerological tripe written by a self-professed acolyte and priestess of Wicca.

Now, I have a friend (a sensitive old "hippie" and Woodstock "flower child") who I dearly love and go out of my way to humor and tolerate, despite their numerous foibles.But, to my perpetual amazement, my old friend still naively sucks this kind of stuff up, even at their rapidly advancing age.She would probably really enjoy this book and perhaps linger over it for hours, so maybe I ought to give my copy to her!?Oh well, such folks are generally harmless, mean well, and wouldn't hardly hurt a fly.

But it really can get borderline ludicrous when you read this kind of book, and, quite honestly, I am not sure whether to laugh or cry.For example, the author recommends, apparently with utter wide-eyed sincerity, that, timing-wise, certain types of "spellwork" might best be performed in accord with favorable lunary or planetary influences (ancient and long ago discredited Chaldean astrology) or on certain days of the week which, in myth and old folklore, were supposedly associated with a muddle of particular ancient gods or goddesses (so-called "Higher Powers") of specific characteriological significance and various "elements" (such as earth, air, fire, or water), metals, stones, herbs, trees, musical tones, and colors.Otherwise, in some places, an intelligent reader with a modicum of healthy skepticsm cannot help but shake their head in quasi-amused bewilderment when they read some of the author's rather facile and silly suggestions, such as using mystical numerology to time the casting of a propitious spell on one's car ("run well, be safe"), using one's lawnmower to sculpt labyrinth patterns, or using "magical" squares to trace one's potential vacation route on a map.I almost cracked up when I read in one place the author's suggestion that, in order to help immerse oneself in the "magical" power of the moon (Luna), one might catch some moonlight in water and drink it, or use it in one's bath!

5-0 out of 5 stars Living Math
Modern mathematics as professionally practiced is too often severed from its roots in the marvelous contemplation of our life in nature. When its origins are remembered at all, the focus is usually on necessity, for example the need to measure the movement of the sun or moon for practical matters of planting or harvesting. But to our ancestors even the most practical math was also a source of wonder at the deep yet comprehensible connections within the universe. This wonder is the true beginning of magic.

Renna Shesso's delightful Math for Mystics recovers both the practical and the wonderful in math with a refreshingly clear and lively writing style. The author includes numerous well-designed illustrations and diagrams that she has thoughtfully integrated with the text. Here you will find explained not only the math methods but also the associations that inform their proper magical uses. The selection of topics is excellent, from the origins of measurement to geometric solids, with many implications for numerology. Math for Mystics will be of interest to anyone curious about the living world of math or who seeks a deeper understanding of magical practice. No previous background in math is needed to access and understand this material.

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
When I recieved this book in the mail, I knew it would help me to better understand sacred geometry.I did not realize to what extent it would help.This book teaches the mathematics behind sacred geometry.I am planning my own sacred geometry project.In that endeavor, this book has proven priceless.

Math for Mystics: From the Fibonacci sequence to Luna's Labyrinth to the Golden Section and Other Secrets of Sacred Geometry ... Read more


35. Glencoe Geometry, Student Edition
by Cindy J. Boyd, Jerry Cummins, Carol Malloy, John Carter, Alfinio Flores
 Hardcover: 794 Pages (2004-03-25)
list price: US$87.32 -- used & new: US$55.82
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0078296374
Average Customer Review: 1.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Book Description
A flexible program with the solid content students need

Glencoe Geometry is the leading geometry program on the market. Algebra and applications are embedded throughout the program and an introduction to geometry proofs begins in Chapter 2. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

1-0 out of 5 stars The Epitome of What is Wrong in Math Education
Math books in Japan and Singapore are short, inexpensive, and to the point. Math books in American often look like this monstrocity: long, expensive and rambling. For example we learn about the history of jeans, we learn that Mae Jemison was the first African-American woman to go into space, and that in 1974, Beverly Johnson, the first black model on the cover of a major fashion magazine. In other words, this book tries very hard to hide the fact that is math book by introducing glossy photos, color pictures, and a litany facts TOTALLY UNRELATED TO MATH. Unfortunately, the students will eventually find out this is a math textbook, so introducing all of that fluff is a wasted effort.

In looking through this book, I would say about 65% of it can be jettisoned, leaving 35% of the book that actually deals with math in a direct and useful way. However, you really have to wade through a lot of nonsense to find that stuff.

Avoid this book. Period.

1-0 out of 5 stars Perhaps the worst Math Book ever "Written"
In my home state of Tennessee, this is the text that unsuspecting school kids must decipher.It should have been easy - it's structure (and I use the term loosely) broadly resembles MTV with its numerous subjects per page, chats about unrelated subjects, some of the worst use of the English language ever and a colorful, multi-font, in-your-face appearance.There's pictures and graphs and arrows and charts and big text and small text and cartoons...Yet it cannot be understood much less absorbed - at least by anyone looking for something rational.

Like others, I noticed that the "team" of writers (it's almost as if they took turns writing paragraphs) continually introduced material BEFORE it was studied.Then there were the "examples" - just pitiful.Proofs were confusing, redundancy is taken for granted and the number of sub-subjects - review, standardized tests, chapter study, real life example, etc all ran together in a mushy mixture of words and concepts.IF YOUR CHILD MUST USE THIS BOOK GET EITHER A TUTOR OR PURCHASE "Geometry the Easy Way" by Lawrence S. Leff.I picked it up for $2.99 from Amazon.
A one star is overly generous.

1-0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Horrid! Avoid like the plague!
I am taking an honors level geometry course at my high school, and this, unfortunately, is the text that we have been given. It's absolutely rubbish. The lessons don't really teach the concepts, they just show some examples, which are hard to comprehend without actually knowing the topic that they're trying to teach/demonstrate/show-off/whatever. Furthermore, the problems at the end of the lessons/chapters clearly assume knowledge beyond the scope of what was taught in the book (leaving holes for the teacher to fill in, I suppose). This book is bad, really bad, and I cannot stress this point enough.

I'd reccomend "Geometry the Easy Way" by Lawrence S. Leff, if you truly want to learn the topic (it covers everything that this joke of a text covers...only in more depth). Oh, and it's only $10 or so.

Also, avoid the Algebra II textbook by these clowns, it's written in the same bad style, poorly teaching the lessons. In general, Glencoe products are of the lowest quality. I'm studying calculus independently, and I'm sure glad that Glencoe doesn't produce a calculus text (otherwise the school may have given me that).

1-0 out of 5 stars Utterly Confusing for Middleschoolers
I was recently amazed when my daughter, who has been a strait A math student, showed me this textbook along with a poor grade in her first quarter taught with this book.I am an electrical engineer with math minor who greatly enjoys math applications in engineering.

I've read through many chapters of this book in utter confusion.There are so many applications and examples, it's hard to find the math concepts, particularly in the early introductory chapters.Chapter one of this book, used to teach 8th graders in our school district, reads like a textbook on vector calculus.The discussion changes between 1,2, and 3 space without any discussion or any definitions.Almost any 1960's geometry textbook would be far superior.

In reading later chapters, it seems to cover boolean logic, logic theory, matrices, then returns to geometry.The trigonometry sections are fairly good.Towards the end, a more standard approach is taken towards solid geometry.The homeworks are very confusing, and relate to materials not in the chapters.

This book has just toomuch confusing stuff for middleschoolers.I'm sure that it's well intended, but completely misses the mark.It fails to teach geometry.Chock full of applications, especially in the early part of the book, it's missing the fundamental ideas of geometry. It's also very weak on analytical geometry, the most important ideas in engineering.

This textbook was a poor choice in our school district.The latter chapters are almost college level in complexity.I'm sure that the egos of the authors were well massaged in coauthoring this.However, the students are left without a useful textbook that they can understand or learn math from.If making students thoroughly confused and feeling inadeqate is a new concept in education, then this book is great.No wonder students can't pass the Aims test.

1-0 out of 5 stars Geometry: Misconnections
This is a very poor math textbook.Here's the main problem: End-of-chapter problem sets require knowledge and skills that have not been clearly introduced in the chapter.Chapters meander through irrelevant or mundane points (e.g., how to bisect an angle using a compass...this is middle school stuff) but then call on different skills in problem sets (e.g., where was this postulate discussed in the chapter?).If you are looking for a good geometry book, I suggest that you look elsewhere.Unfortunately, our school district didn't. ... Read more


36. Painless Geometry (Barron's Painless Series)
by Lynette Long Ph.D.
Paperback: 307 Pages (2001-07-01)
list price: US$8.99 -- used & new: US$4.71
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0764117734
Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Book Description
Titles in Barron's Painless Series are textbook supplements designed especially for classroom use by middle school and high school students. The approach of each title is an appeal to students who think that the subject is boring, or too difficult, or both. The authors, all experienced educators, take a light approach, showing kids what is most interesting about each subject, and how seemingly difficult problems can be transformed into fun quizzes, brain-ticklers, and challenging puzzles with rational solutions. Geometry becomes painless—and even fun—once students learn the subject's basic components and see how solving any geometric problem is fitting parts together to solve an intriguing puzzle. They learn the meaning of postulates and theorems, discover angles of all kinds, find the relationships that exist between parallel and perpendicular lines, and discover the characteristics of shapes such as triangles, quadrilaterals, and circles. The author introduces real-world geometry experiments to make concepts less abstract, offers study strategies, and demonstrates how mini-proofs are the first step toward understanding formal geometry proofs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

4-0 out of 5 stars 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!

2-0 out of 5 stars 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.

2-0 out of 5 stars Definitely NOT for homeschool!
Since I'm homeschooling my high school sophomore this year, I've been spending time looking at math books. "Painless Geometry" seemed like a good bet. Profusely illustrated (albeit with silly monkey pictures) and written in plain English, it looked like just what we'd want.

That's until I started actually using the book. First of all, who ever heard of a 300-page reference book with only three pages of index? How are you supposed to find things that way? It's missing things like the base of a triangle (the index has neither "base" nor "triangle:base") and how to label an angle. The information's in the book, but you certainly can't find it using the index. Not only that, but the pages aren't labeled like a normal book, with the name and number of the chapter at the top or bottom of each page. You can't find your place in a book that way!

There's little depth to the book. There are experiments with pencil and paper, but no real-world examples of where you'd use geometry. Area is calculated in "square units" with no discussion of real units of measure. Pi is introduced with a single paragraph. No explanation is given of its rich history, how it's calculated, or applicability throughout mathematics.

The oversimplifications in this book may make life difficult later. The book states that all angles are measured in degrees, and the degrees symbol is generally omitted. Whatever happened to radians? In one of the problems, she asks for the area of a circle with diameter of ten. The correct answer is 100 times pi. The book states the answer as 314. That's an approximation, not an answer!

Then we started finding the mistakes. Typos like "Computer the area of a circle" (page 184) I can live with. It's hard core mistakes like these I can't tolerate:

The reader is asked to identify what type of triangle has angles of 120, 35, and 35 degrees (page 101). The answer says it's isosceles and obtuse. In reality, it's not a triangle at all, as the angles don't add up to 180 degrees!

How's this for a statement of the Side-Angle-Side postulate (page 126)? "If two sides and the included angle of one triangle are congruent to two triangles and the included angle of a second triangle, then the triangles are congruent." Huh?

There's a "super brain tickler" on page 163 which indicates, according to the answers in the book, that for squares, rhombuses, rectangles, and parallelograms, all four sides are parallel! No. Four parallel line segments wouldn't ever meet. Those four shapes have two sets of parallel sides, not one set of four parallel sides!

.... That tends to leave us with drek like "Painless Geometry."

All in all, I found this book to be poorly proofread, ridded with errors, badly indexed, oversimplified, and disconnected from the real world. It may be good as an adjunct for a student having trouble with a real geometry book, but only if there's someone around to explain what "Painless Geometry" omits or misstates. ... Read more


37. The Geometry of Art and Life
by Matila Ghyka
 Paperback: 192 Pages (1977-06-01)
list price: US$9.95 -- used & new: US$5.39
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0486235424
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Book Description

This classic study probes the geometric interrelationships between art and life in discussions that range from Plato, Pythagoras, and Archimedes to modern architecture and art. Other topics include the Golden Section, geometrical shapes on the plane, geometrical shapes in space, crystal lattices, and many other fascinating subjects. Includes 80 plates and 64 figures.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

5-0 out of 5 stars Excellent and Insightful
This short paperback is a hidden gem.It contains so many insightful pithy clues about life, along with easy to understand mathematical paradigms.Every item will have you saying is this math, is it philosophy, is it religion, or is just true in many, many ways.

5-0 out of 5 stars Shows how mathematics intertwines with the arts and biology
This book is a unique one that combines mathematics with art and somewhat quantifies that which we call beauty. The mathematical concepts presented are not difficult. If you've been exposed to algebra and geometry you should have no trouble. What will definitely help is having studied art, and in particular, art appreciation. With no real feeling for symmetry or form you might not appreciate this book as much as you could.

The book's central focus is to show that patterns, themes of symmetry, and spirals discovered in living forms and living growth are the same themes of proportion that were used by Greek and Gothic architects. It also shows that the proportion known as "The Golden Section" appears to be the principle invariant. The Golden Section's algebraic and geometric properties are discussed, as are its role in biology and in aesthetics.

This book is very accessible, but it is not something you will want to read quickly cover to cover. Instead, the best way to read this book is to read a short section, make sure you understand the underlying mathematics, and then think about what that particular section of thebook says about the application of that mathematics to the arts or biology before returning to the book for further reading.

1-0 out of 5 stars Lacking depth in analysis
Ghyka attempts to show the objects in nature are not randomly formed; he begins the with the concept of ratio and proportion in the plane; the golden section; and then to the regular polygons and geometric shapes in 3 dimensions.Then he rambles onto hypothesizing why an architecture design may seem striking. In doing so he makes gross assumptions which are to the point of being forced to fit his theories.The basic concepts that he delves; one can familiarize oneself with by a quick reference on the internet. Hence I do not recommend spending the time and money to read this book.

5-0 out of 5 stars A good book focused on Phi
I'm not a mathematician, but I still found this book to be readable. It is largely focused on the Golden Section (Phi) and related proportions, including Fibonacci numbers, sqrt(Phi), etc. The explanation of how to derive this number is clearly explained in the first few chapters. The following chapters show how Phi is related to most things we see everyday, including architecture, 5-point animals, crystal latticies, art, and music. This book is quite old, so the illustrations seem rather antiquated. Nonetheless, the quantity and clarity of these illustrations are impressive.

The writing was clear, but the concepts were occasionally difficult to understand. The author made mention of "gnomic" growth a number of times without really giving a single clear definition. Also, I felt that a number of the tie-ins between Phi and architecture were a bit of a stretch. Most likely you could overlay any graph over a blueprint and see any proportion you'd want to see. At any rate, this book has gotten me interested in this subject, and I will be looking for more books on Phi.

5-0 out of 5 stars Accessible and Fascinating
This excellent book, written in 1946, still remains in print, and for good reason. Ghyka shows mathematically that objects in nature are not randomly formed, but all have regularity and harmony.
Beginning with the concepts of ratio and proportion in the plane, the Golden Section, and then to regular polygons and geometric shapes in 3 dimensions, Ghyka demonstrates these patterns with simple algebra and geometry, and plenty of diagrams.
He explains the logarithmic spiral and its role in harmonious growth in nature, with photographs and diagrams. He shows how ancient builders used the Golden Section in their architecture and in their art. This book is a wonderful weaving of philosophy, mathematicsand science, covering a lot of ground, and is very well-written. It is nothing like trying to wade through H.M.S. Coxeter! This book would be a fine companionto Cook's "The Curves of Life," fleshing out the concepts presented there.
This little book is a gem -- there is a tremendous amount of information packed into its 174 pages, yet it is understandable to the layperson. And it is aptly titled. It truly is about "The Geometry of Art and Life."
If you are one of those observant persons who is looking for a more detailed understanding of the underlying patterns in nature, art and architecture,and you don't mind spending a little time going through some simple algebra and geometry, this is the book for you. ... Read more


38. Understanding Elementary Algebra with Geometry: A Course for College Students (6th Edition w/CD-ROM)
by Lewis R. Hirsch, Arthur Goodman
Hardcover: 704 Pages (2005-09-19)
list price: US$142.95 -- used & new: US$118.99
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0534999727
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France | Japan
Editorial Review

Book Description
Hirsch and Goodman offer a mathematically sound, rigorous text to those instructors who believe students should be challenged. The text prepares students for future study in higher-level courses by gradually building students' confidence without sacrificing rigor. To help students move beyond the "how" of algebra (computational proficiency) to the "why" (conceptual understanding), the authors introduce topics at an elementary level and return to them at increasing levels of complexity. Their gradual introduction of concepts, rules, and definitions through a wealth of illustrative examples -- both numerical and algebraic--helps students compare and contrast related ideas and understand the sometimes-subtle distinctions among a variety of situations. This author team carefully prepares students to succeed in higher-level mathematics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

4-0 out of 5 stars Good examples
This book has good examples to work off of for algebra.

5-0 out of 5 stars la_books
Very good serves and fast to. Book l