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

Customer Reviews (8)

just what I was looking for
I was a little worried, but it turned out to be the very same book the class is using (the school didn't have enough books for all the students!).Didn't have to pay full retail price, so that was great.

The product was as they described.
I feel the description of the product was honest.The book was rough around the edges but still in good condition.I didn't need a fancy new book so it was just fine for me.

Geometry
It wasn't what I expected because I ordered alike new book and received an acceptable book.

Great experience!
I received this book in the condition described. I also received it in a timely manner.

Good practice
This is a good practice workbook. Each section has detailed examples followed by problems to practice. A good way to reinforce Geometry skills. ... 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
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.
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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
About the Art & Imagination Series: Explore a range of interests, philosophies, religions, and cultures—from Kabbalah to Freemasonry, Buddhism to Hinduism, myth to magic. The distinguished authors bring a wealth of knowledge, visionary thinking, and accessible writing to each intriguing subject in these lavishly illustrated, large-format paperback books. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

well written - good examples.
this book has a good balance of the practical and the metaphysical for someone looking to understand the inner workings of geometries in more detail.it is the most comprehensive of the books i have found on the subject.

A Text Book of Secret Geometry Proofs ("One" not used in schools)
This is an amazing book.This book may appear to be a small book but it is not.Yes it is small physically but spiritually, it is a very condensed text book.The author takes you on a journey of sacred geometry.Reading thru the text is relatively easy but it is time consuming to go thru the proofs.....but well worth the time, effort and work.The author goes back in time to a state of existence when the concept of zero meant literally nothing; when the first number was "One".One meant and still means "Unity".The author provokes the thought of what would our perception of the world be today if the concept of "zero" did not exist?Does it really exist or have we blindly accepted everything that we were taught by those that were here before us?

"The notion of zero also had its effect on our psychological conceptualizations.Ideas such as the finality of death and the fear of it, the separation of heaven and earth, the whole range of existential philosophies based on the despair and absurdity of a world followed by non-being, all owe much to the notion of zero."

The author recommends that you recreate the proofs thru his process of instruction of actually drawing the sacred geometric configurations.The author goes thru many geometric exercises described as workbooks of geometric configurations to prove secrets of creation or of God; following these workbooks results in experiencing creation itself.

"The primary geometric forms are considered to be the crystallizations of the creative thoughts of God, and the human hand, manipulation and constructing these forms, will learn to position itself in the essential poses of gesture-language."

"Why, it may be asked, cannot Unity simply divide into two equal parts?Why not have a proportion of one term, a:a?The answer is simply that with equality there is no difference, and without difference there is no perceptual universe..............An asymmetrical division is needed in order to create the dynamics necessary for progression and extension from the Unity."

Sacred geometry is the crystallization of music frozen in time where music represents time and sacred geometry represents space.

A Book of Wisdom to Be Read Slowly
Very, very insightful intro to sacred geometry. If not familiar with this topic, I would suggest one first read the book to get your feet wet in a new way of perceiving what's around you. Then go back, re-read it slowly, and carefully do the math (which isn't difficult, really) and make the geometric constructs on graph paper like the author suggests.You have to do the exercises for it all to fully sink in, and achieve greater comprehension.This book is quietly profound. I only wish it was longer and for this talented author to get into the deeper end of the pool.Lawlor's commentary is often provocative and compelling.

A Rare Resource
If you have been looking for the secrets of the Pythagorian Brotherhood, then look no futher - this is the book.Robert Lawlor takes you step by step into the realm of Hermetic Knowledge and connects it all together.

Not for the meek.
Great source for a workbook; not an elementary book for the true beginner. ... Read more

Product Description
New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice explores the complex emotional equations of love and loyalty that hold together three pairs of remarkable sisters, in an unforgettable story of loss, redemption, and forgiveness
 
The storm off Mackinac Island that engulfed Maura Shaw’s husband and elder daughter,Carrie, also swept away the illusion of her life as the perfect midwestern wife and mother. Now, after years away, Maura has returned to Rhode Island to teach English at the fabled Newport Academy and to seek a new beginning. Newport has never failed to infuse Maura with a sense of mystery and hope, but ever since the accident, her younger daughter, fourteen-year-old Beck, has retreated into the safe, predictable world of mathematics. Without Carrie, Beck has lost half of herself—the half that would have fit into the elite private school she and her brother, Travis, will attend. The half that made things right. Sixteen-year-old Travis is also struggling to adjust—juggling a long-distance first love and an attraction to a girl with a wicked sparkle in her eye. And for Maura, ghosts linger here—an unresolved breach with her own beloved sister and a long-ago secret that may now have the power to set her free. . . .
 Amazon.com Review
Amazon Exclusive: Luanne Rice on The Geometry of Sisters

Luanne Rice is a New York Times bestselling author whose moving novels of love and family have inspired the devotion of readers everywhere. Rice began her writing career. She is the author of twenty-six novels, most recently Last Kiss, Light of the Moon, What Matters Most, The Edge of Winter, Sandcastles, and Summer of Roses. Rice lives in New York City and Old Lyme, Connecticut. See more of her books in the Luanne Rice Author Store.

I grew up in a triangle of sisters, the oldest of three girls. Invisible lines stretched between us, never quite equidistant. Within our tight threesome, one always felt a little left out.We told each other everything, except the occasional deep, dark secret.And when one learned the other two had known, it was a knife in the heart.

The Geometry Of Sisters tells of three sets of sisters, the amazing and treacherous ways they love and protect each other.It’s set in a New England prep school, on a cliff in Newport, Rhode Island.Newport, because my sisters and I lived there the year after our father died, and prep school because...

My youngest sister was (and is) brilliant and the most sensitive girl on earth.My mother taught at our junior high.It was a rough school, and some kids gave us a hard time for being a teacher’s daughters.My middle sister and I survived, but I decided our youngest sister needed a different environment.My father was sick, my mother preoccupied with his illness, so I felt it was up to me.

I researched private schools at our downtown library, got lost in catalogues promising fine academics, graceful architecture, rolling hills, tradition passed down from class to class, a sense of safety and enclosure.I thought somehow, in a school like that, my sister would be protected from life’s pain and dangers.

She was accepted to Miss Porter’s School with a full scholarship.She spent four years there, a test for our triangle.My middle sister and I would drive her to school, take her to the Farm Shop for lunch, find ways to keep us all close.

When she went to Deerfield for “Winterim,” a month-long winter study opportunity, she asked my middle sister up for the weekend and a dance.This was one of my left-out times. I could have invited myself along, but such is the delicate sensibility of sisterhood--it’s the asking that counts.Equally, there have been occasions I’ve excluded one sister or the other, put her in the middle, known that she felt hurt; sisters feel the shards of each other’s pain.

Life has taught me that the visible connection among sisters is no more intense and permanent than the unseen one. Welcome to the geometry of families.Are you part of a triangle, a straight line, a parallelogram, a circle?Are you a single point?Family members exist in relation to each other, not in bloodless planes, angles and lines, but in love, joy, hurt, and sorrow.

My father died in April the year my sister graduated from Miss Porter’s.Death made us sad and wild.The three of us moved to Newport--we left home, but stayed together.My sisters worked at a boatyard; I wrote fiction.We spent evenings on Thames Street and at Bannister’s Wharf.I met a boy with deep-sea eyes.He lived in his family’s warehouse on a cobblestone alley; he painted boats.We took walks.

My sisters and I were far from the protected enclosure of a New England boarding school, but how safe had it been, anyway?My father had died while she was a student there.Nothing could bring him back, life would soon take the three of us in different directions, and all those racing yachts and Australian sailors were an obstacle course of sorts.

But that summer I had a boat-painting friend, and my sisters and I lived under the same roof, and the first seeds of the story that would become The Geometry Of Sisters were planted. --Luanne Rice

(Photo © Gasper Tringale)

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Customer Reviews (23)

Lines connecting sisters in the past and present
This novel revolves around 4 sets of sisters- 1 set in the past, 2 sisters along with their mother and aunt, and 2 sisters that are friends of the girls. Carrie and her mother and brother are moving back to her mother's hometown after her father's death in an accident and her sister's subsequent disappearance. They will attend a private school where her mother will work. Beck is having a hard time adjusting and delves into the world of mathematics which she loves. She becomes friends with Lucy whose sister, Pell also goes to the school. Their father is also dead and their mother has left them to live abroad. Her mother is working on reconnecting with her estranged sister and is desperate to find her missing daughter. The historical girls are connected to the school's past and are purported to be ghosts. They lived on the fourth floor of the school and had the exclusive pool on the roof that mysteriously seems to be back in use. We find that there is a tangled geometry connecting all of these sisters and their stories and pasts are slowly revealed through the course of the novel as is their present and the choices that led them here. It is an interesting story of relationships and worth reading.

Utterly awful!
As a fan of Beach Girls, I couldn't wait to read this book, but it didn't take long to realize that this book was poorly conceived and poorly written. If Luann Rice is to be judged based on this book, I can honestly say that I will never pick up another of her books.

When Ally comes to visit Travis and they go out to the club. Ally is described as wearing a blue strapless dress. A mere seven pages later, Ally and Travis leave the club and they are making out in the car, when somehow Travis manages to "slip her straps off of her shoulders". Seriously??? WHAT straps?

From leaves that call out Carrie's name to her sister, to a mother who casually misplaces a notebook that contains clues to the whereabouts of her missing daughter, to a young mother who cannot wait another minute to venture out on foot with her baby even though there is a serious snow storm in progress. Plausablity is stretched beyond any reasonble limit.

Unrealistic plot lines, ridiculous characters, and flawed writing make this one of the worst books that I have ever read...and I read a lot of books. I strongly suggest that Ms. Rice take more time to iron out obvious defects in storyline, and character development and write fewer books.

Great Book
I think Luanne Rice is one of the best story tellers out there.I love all her books.This one is a must read. You will love the story.

This is a good weekend read, because it begs not to be put down until finished.
Everybody knows that sisters have a special bond. Beck Shaw knows this, because she and her older sister Carrie had a great relationship. Travis, the middle child, knows this because he has seen that there are some things about Carrie that she would only tell their little sister and not him. But Carrie has run away, and that means bonds in the family have been broken.

Maura, their mother, has her own sister to think about, because they've been estranged for years. She is distressed about her daughter and has done everything she can to get her back. Carrie ran away after being involved in the same accident that killed Maura's husband, Andy. Finally she decides to move her family from Ohio to Rhode Island, where she will become a teacher at her former school.

Newport Academy is a strange experience, not only for Maura, who keeps running into people connected with those she used to know, but also for Beck, who is just starting high school, and Travis, who is becoming a football star but can't help feel as if he is adjusting too much compared to his mother and sister. But slowly they all do, while feeling haunted by their individual and collective memories of Carrie and Andy.

Beck becomes a math star, and she and a new friend spend hours trying to find the secret to infinity. Both girls who have lost fathers, they believe this is a way of getting back to them, when in reality it may just be their way of grieving. In addition, Beck investigates an old school mystery regarding a rich student who died in a terrible accident. Mary, the ghost of Newport Academy, also had a sister, and Beck finds solace in reading their shared journals. Her math teacher, Stephen Campbell, develops a relationship with Maura, who feels troubled about an old love affair she had with a man who still lives in Newport --- and who is friends with Stephen. She has a deep, dark, 18-year-old secret, which in turn is a part of Carrie's reason for running away.

THE GEOMETRY OF SISTERS is, fittingly, as complicated a tale as geometry itself, with interwoven stories and strange connections between people. In that way it reads almost like a thriller, or a movie. However, at its core are emotion and family ties. Sisterhood plays into dozens of relationships and conflicts within the story. Luanne Rice examines how sisterhoods evolve through time and how they can be torn apart.

At times the novel seems too easy --- less literary and more like chick lit. But it manages to stay away from that because of its scope. Constantly changing points of view, it takes us from Beck's view of her mother and then to her mother's view of Beck; later we learn what Travis thinks, and how Carrie is functioning without her family. Maybe a bit too jumpy, THE GEOMETRY OF SISTERS is ultimately richer because of its ability to look at the same family from a variety of angles.

This is a good weekend read, because it begs not to be put down until finished. It flows easily and cleverly places suspense and romance throughout to catch a variety of readers. The book is perhaps simple in its writing, but it's still worth a read.

Good but not great
This book was actually good. It just wasn't for me.

The Geometry of Sisters starts with Maura Shaw moving away to Newport, with her two children, Beck and Travis. Maura's daughter, Carrie, is missing and the detective on the case has failed to find any trace of her. Maura is the only one looking forward to the change to Newport. Travis misses his girlfriend, Ally, while Beck is antagonistic to moving away from home, where Carrie could be.

As the story progresses, Maura's perfect outer facade cracks as she comes across elements of her past that she had hidden for years. At the same time, Beck resorts to stealing, as a way to battle her demons. She had been caught and accused of stealing back home, and was in therapy. Travis finds that he is developing feelings for Pell, a girl in his school, whose sister, Lucy, is Beck's close friend in Newport.

I thought this story was pretty good, but somehow I could not connect with any of the characters and their problems at any point, except one. That one moment was late in the book, when I actually felt a character do a sensible action - sensible according to her situation. There are a lot of characters introduced in Newport, who didn't kindle any sort of interest in me. There is J.D., who became paralyzed the day the woman he loved left him, Steven Campbell, the math teacher, who has made helping the Shaw family his responsibility, Pell and Lucy Davis, another pair of sisters, whose story is told in this book's sequel, The Deep Blue Sea for Beginners. Then there is Katherine, Maura's long-estranged, would-be-no-longer-estranged sister.

The many emotions captured in the book felt shallow for me. In addition, Beck often talks about sisters, her family, her problems, and her relationships in very mathematical terms. I didn't mind it initially, but after a while, it got tiring to see so many things expressed in math terms. The audio book narrators however did a very good job. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading books about families and sisters. Since neither theme is for me, I will stay away from this genre. ... Read more

Product Description
Understanding the role of sacred geometry in cosmology and human affairs

• Explains how ancient societies that grasped the timeless principles of sacred geometry were able to create flourishing societies

• Illustrates the social and spiritual values in the natural progression of number

• Contains more than 300 full-color drawings showing the interplay of number and sacred geometry

Galileo described the universe as a large book written in the language of mathematics, which can only be read by those with knowledge of its characters--triangles, circles, and other geometrical figures. The laws of geometry are not human inventions. They are found ready-made in nature and hold a truth that is the same in all times and all places and is older than the world itself.

In How the World Is Made John Michell explains how ancient societies that grasped the timeless principles of sacred geometry were able to create flourishing societies. His more than 300 full-color illustrations reveal the secret code within these geometrical figures and how they express the spiritual meanings in the key numbers of 1 through 12. For example, the number 8 and its octagon are symbols of peace and stability, the holy 7 and its seven-sided figure are connected to the world-soul. He identifies the various regular shapes and shows their constructions; their natural symbolism; their meetings, matings, and ways of breeding; and their functions within the universal order. Some are musical and structural, others relate to life and humanity. In the process of making these discoveries, Michell helps us see the world in a new light. Disparate shapes and their corresponding numbers are woven together, resolving themselves into an all-inclusive world image--that “pattern in the heavens,” as Socrates called it, “which anyone can find and establish within themselves.”
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Customer Reviews (2)

Sacred Universal Order
Something ancient stirred within me the moment I saw the cover of this book. Not surprising really, since sacred geometry is a nature-made creation story that predates language, homo sapiens, or even the world itself. According to Galileo, "the `grand book' of the universe was written in the language of mathematics and its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometrical figures, without which it is impossible to understand a single word of it."

What makes sacred geometry sacred, is that it connects us with the only world order "in which human nature can happily exist...the cosmological expression of ideal harmony and proportion which constituted the base behind every ancient lasting civilization."

This book is beautifully written and contains over 300 color drawings that illustrate the archetypal patterns that numbers and shapes represent, and how they illuminate social and spiritual development, both in contemporary and historical worlds.

As someone who is mathematically functional, but not sophisticated, there is perhaps more "mathematics" explained in this book than I enjoy or appreciate. But this is a personal bias and in no way reflects the quality of information, knowledge, and wisdom offered in this fascinating and compelling look at sacred universal order.

Beautiful book for alegebra teachers!
My wife teaches algebra and has found this book a treasure for enriching student appreciation of fractals and geometry. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (14)

An added layer to the Geometry you learned in school
Tight, neat and succinct chapters throughout this book show that the ancients assumed the world was a Cosmos in the sense it was ordered and could be understood.Skinner begins with arithmetic, and Pythagorean number theory, highlighting the Lambda and it's relationship between the order of the planets and the notes on a stringed instrument. Skinner continues on through Geometry as it applies to the Universe, the World, the Landscape, and Man himself.Interestingly, for example, the Yard is a function of Time as well as Length, for example.Early Temples and other constructions are shown to have a relationship to either the Zodiac, the Earth, or Man, sometimes all three simultaneously!Sadly to my knowledge, we have lost the Art of Sacred Geometry for use in our Temples, but the Work has continued on in our mundane architecture, where Skinner presents modern day examples of these principles being applied by modern architects.

Don't let this one slip by if you've developed an interest in the subject!

Not useful for education
I bought this book hoping that I could use some of the connections with art in a mathematics course on Geometry.After a more careful reading, I must agree with the previous reviewer who notes the weakness of the mathematics in the book.In addition to the errors regarding irrational numbers, the author misunderstands the concept of fractal geometry and how it truly does relate to chaos theory.On page 59 the author makes the case that the two are unrelated.In fact, the Mandelbrot set, for example, is defined by the boundary between chaotic and ordered recursive behavior.It is all too clear that the author is no mathematician.I appreciate his efforts to connect Geometry to mystical human endeavors, but I wish he had co-authored with a mathematician.I cannot recommend this book for use in mathematics education.

Sacred Geometry: Deciphering the Code
Skinner's foray into the fundamentals of sacred geometry lays a sound historical foundation for the mysteries yet to be discovered in other works.Skinner provides the bread crumbs that can lead the serious student down the rabbit hole of Euclid, Plato and the rest of my fellow ancient Greeks as well as the non-Greeks like Kepler, et al. For a modern take on the subject,see Bucky Fuller's friend, Keith Critchlow, and his Order in Space, as well as Robert Lawlor's take on the subject.If your interested in the actual implementation of such designs with your own square and compass (which is the real way to discover the deepest mysteries), check out the Wooden Books series (with an emphasis on the texts: Sacred Geometry, Platonic and Archimedean Solids, A Little Book of Coincidence) or just buy them all like I did.If you are feeling really adventurous and are willing to suspend your disbelief at concepts and experiences that may seem... strange to today's average human, then check out Drunvalo Melchizedek's Flower of Life (Volumes 1&2). Dru dropped some geometry gems in there, no doubt.

Also check out the Geometry Junkyard website for more geometry fun!I found that the hands down best way to grasp the relationships between all geometric forms including (but not limited to) the regular polyhedra is to find the free "Nets" online [...] Then, simply print 'em out and glue them together.Of course, if one can draft the nets with a compass oneself, even better.... but then one wouldn't be reading this review,would one?No book can compare to actually holding such shapes in your hand.

I enjoyed Stephen Skinner's work even though he was often frustratingly vague and lacked a significant depth to some of the more interesting math and geometry to be found all around in nature.However, its an all around good book... Its got a great beat & I can dance to it.

Perhaps I can even excuse Skinner's horrendous blunder on Page 9 that labeled a famous DaVinci rendering of a pentagonal dodecahedron as a "regular icosahedron." (Really Stephen, for shame)!

Pretty, thought provoking, but full of errors
I was attracted to the high quality of this book and many illustrations and diagrams which aid in understanding.The book is arranged in short, readable, 2-3 page chapters per topic which can mostly be read separately as you have time.

Unfortunately, a number of errors in the text and poorly written descriptions of the diagrams actually detract from understanding the subject.This is especially true if you want to better understand the relatively simple geometry or math behind the beautiful shapes and natural patterns.The sidebar on the quadratix and custructing root rectangles are frustratingly incomplete for no apparent reason.Other reviewers have pointed out other silly mathematical errors in the book.The author gives you plenty to think about, but you'll have to look elsewhere for accurate description of the concepts.

Perhaps the author was not able to clearly explain understand some of math he didn't understand and the publishers certainly rushed the book to market without a mathematical proofreading.Maybe a second printing will correct these flaws in a book with great potential.For now, I'm glad I picked it up off the clearance rack for under $10.

Good book
I would have given the book more stars, unfortunately the last few sections of the book are too christian for my own tastes. The book is well written and presents the information well, but it does fall apart in the end. With all the material of sacred archeological sites, I dont know why the Author chose to stay within the scope of christian churches, when most people who pick up this book are more intrested in the true sacred. ... Read more

Product Description
For all math teachers in grades 6-12, this practical resource provides 130 detailed lessons with reproducible worksheets to help students understand geometry concepts and recognize and interpret geometry's relationship to the real world. The lessons and worksheets are organized into seven sections, each covering one major area of geometry and presented in an easy-to-follow format including title focusing on a specific topic/skill, learning objective, special materials (if any), teaching notes with step-by-step directions, answer key, and reproducible student activity sheets. Activities in sections 1-6 are presented in order of difficulty within each section while those in Part 7, "A Potpourri of Geometry," are open-ended and may be used with most middle and high school classes. Many activities throughout the book may be used with calculators and computers in line with the NCTM's recommendations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

GEO Plus
Excellent Resource.Better than I expected.Many Worksheets and Activities.

Last Geo Activity Book I ordered didn't specify it needed a CD which wasn't included.

Geometry Teacher
I am always looking for different and hopefully fun ways to teach or reinforce different skills.I like the descriptions of "how to" do the problems and I like the difficulty involved.

Not what I was looking for
This book was definitely not what I thought it would be.I teach Geometry in New York State, which is a rigorous Regents course. (10th grade).This book was not organized in a way that you would think. The different topics were randomly placed and many of the activities were either too easy or too difficult.This book was of no use to me.I had to return it.

Great Activities!
If you teach middle or high school geometry, you need this book. It contains great assignments designed to help students learn and have fun doing learning. Try it, you will love it.

Great material for Geometry
I find the worksheets very useful. I have been using it since day 1 in my Geometry class. It has a variety of exercises and the applications to everyday-situation is interesting. Try it! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Amazing
This is what we really needed.It take a little bit long but well worth it.

Very attractive approach to teaching geometry...
...takes a "hands-on" approach so that a student is required to actually "do" geometry -- as opposed to memorizing postulates and then stacking them to generate proofs...in so doing, the student taken through typical stages of investigation -- an observation leads to a speculation leads to an hypothesis that leads to a search for what is needed to confirm the hypothesis...what the student acquires are skills at problem solving that are more general, more realistic, and more practical to the real world...more mathematical types might argue that there's not enough good ol'Euclid...however, my opinion is that Euclid and his proofs are basically mind numbing and I know of no evidence to suggest that such an approach is particularly beneficial...

From A 9th Grade Geometry Teacher
This Geometry book is designed for students to learn through investigations of conjectures with hands-on activities.Sounds great...but it's not at all.Many of the activities deal with the use of patty paper, or tracing paper, and heavily emphasizes the use of geometry tools such as compasses and protractors to create types of lines, angles, or polygons.Many of the activities are difficult for students to see the relationships the book wants them to discover.The homework assignments are TERRIBLE!Many of the problems are extremely difficult, or just too simple.The online teacher materials are a joke.They offer a worksheet for each section of the book that contains many of the same problems the book does.The online assessment resources are awful.Even worse, if a student needs to take a book home, and they don't understand - the book doesn't explain the conjectures to the reader, it makes them try to discover (or rediscover) them doing ridiculous patty paper activities.It is a very difficult book for a student to read to get quick information on how to do a problem.

The only reason my school district chose this book is because the publisher's Algebra and Algebra II books are excellent, and they wanted the students to experience a similar format for their Geometry class.But this book is horrible.

just like I expected
The book arrived fast and in great condition.I was happy with the service although I was worried a little before the book arived, because the seller didn't respond to me email.

Awful, awful textbook
I had the misfortune of learning geometry from this textbook as a student, and now I have the misforture of teaching from it. I remember hating math as a high school student, and textbooks like these were the culprit. In high school, math was always presented as a set of problem-solving techniques that I had to learn and memorize. I was generally able to solve whatever problems came my way, but it always seemed like a trivial and pointless exercise. Luckily, I had some great college professors who made me realize that math was much more than memorizingalgorithms, but a comprehensive logical system grounded in deductive reasoning.

Geometry is the only math course in which rigorous deductive reasoning can be made accessible to high school students -- and not surprisingly, it was the first area of mathematics to be axiomatized (by Euclid). Unlike algebra or calculus, almost all of the theorems and formulas in geometry can be systematically obtained from postulates in a way that is intelligible to high school students; on the other hand, I have yet to see an algebra teacher attempt to prove Cramer's Rule or the Binomial Theorem to their students. The fact that geometry introduces students to a different, mathematical way of thinking is the only justification for maintaining geometry as a standalone math course, rather than integrating it into algebra courses. Otherwise, the "facts" of geometry are nothing remarkable in themselves. So what if opposite sides of a parallelogram are congruent? It wouldn't be that difficult to teach students that "fact" in an algebra class when they're learning about slopes of parallel lines. But what's important is that students understand and see how this fact derives systematically from already known facts.

What does all this have to do with the book at hand? "Discovering Geometry" reduces geometry to the same collection of facts and algorithms that students have been doing in every math class since elementary school. While the problems that Michael Serra devises are occasionally interesting and even clever, he completely misses the point of geometry -- to understand WHY those "facts" are true.

Unlike many critics of this book, I do not have any inherent qualms with the investigative approach to learning geometry. Investigation plays a central role in mathematics, and I applaud the author for giving inductive reasoning its fair shake in this book. But investigation has become more of an ideology than a pedagogical tool in this book. Even my weakest students groan at having to do some of the investigations, whose results they deem obvious. There are simply too many unnecessary investigations, many of which exist only to aggrandize the author's educational philosophy.

As a student, I used the second edition of this book. The author has clearly made significant improvements for the third edition, but there are still serious pedagogical flaws. While Chapter 13 is a valiant attempt at introducing students to the deductive method of geometry, it is too little, too late. High school math classes rarely reach the last chapter, and separating the proofs from the theorems themselves feels artificial and contrived. The author makes another questionable pedagogical decision to area and volume into nonconsecutive chapters, Ch. 8 and 10 -- just so he can prove the Pythagorean Theorem using area in Ch. 9. But if he would only introduce similarity before the Pythagorean Theorem, he would be able to prove the Pythagorean Theorem using similar triangles in a much more elegant and motivated way.

The unorthodox ordering of topics to which I have previously alluded creates problems for even the author. There are many practice problems that require concepts or techniques from later chapters. For example, students are asked to construct a square in Chapter 3 given a diagonal, before either the properties of quadrilaterals (Ch. 5) -- or even the properties of triangles (Ch. 4) -- have been introduced! How students are supposed to "guess" that the diagonal of a square bisects the angles -- I do not know. Furthermore, the first proof in the text is a paragraph proof that the perpendicular bisectors of a triangle are concurrent. I can only imagine the horrified looks on the faces of Serra's students. And these are supposedly students who are having too much trouble with the two-column proofs!

There are outright mistakes in the textbook as well besides the usual typos. On page 333, Serra defines an irrational number as a number whose "decimal form never ends" and a transcendental number as a number whose "pattern of digits does not repeat." So according to his definition, 1/3 would be an irrational number, and sqrt(2) would be a transcendental number -- the former false for obvious reasons, the latter because sqrt(2) satisfies the polynomial equation x^2 - 2 = 0. Moreover, this is something that a reasonably bright high schooler might be expected to know -- much less an ostensibly expert math teacher!

In his manifesto "Tracing Proof in Discovering Geometry," Serra attacks two-column proofs, saying that "so many students fail to master two-column proofs that some teachers are skeptical of claims that all students can learn geometry." While I agree that two-column proofs misrepresent mathematics and make proofs unnecessarily complicated, I'll gladly take them over "Discovering Geometry" any day. ... Read more

Product 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 (2)

Amazon Purchase
Textbook was received in the condition expected based on seller's comments.Shipping occured quickly and textbook was received well before estimated delivery date indicated.Thank you and good job.

geometry book
The book was not in good condition as stated by the seller. It was fair to poor at best ... 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 Barron'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 subject'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 "Brain Tickler" quizzes in many of these titles help to take the pain out of study and improve each student'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
Among the many beautiful and nontrivial theorems in geometry found in Geometry Revisited are the theorems of Ceva, Menelaus, Pappus, Desargues, Pascal, and Brianchon. A nice proof is given of Morley's remarkable theorem on angle trisectors. The transformational point of view is emphasized: reflections, rotations, translations, similarities, inversions, and affine and projective transformations. Many fascinating properties of circles, triangles, quadrilaterals, and conics are developed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Fun and hard
If you pass through the Geometry, the book is fun and light.If you study the Geometry again, the book is honest and hard.

An excellent book on elementary Euclidean geometry
This book, which has been available for quite some time, is still a great place to learn about topics in Euclidean geometry which you probably will not cover in a typical middle or high school math class.The level is completely elementary, meaning that anyone with knowledge of pre-calculus will be able to read this book (if they are sufficiently dedicated).The quality of the exposition is superb, and the mathematical content is interesting and varied.

While people who are interested in recreational mathematics will definitely find this book interesting, perhaps the audience for which this book will be most profitable are middle and high school students preparing for mathematics competitions.It is a considerable advantage, especially for the more difficult competitions, to know the techniques and theorems covered in this book.

If you're interested in learning geometry you may not have covered in school, or are preparing for math competitions, buy this book.

The best text on Elementary Geometry in English
This is one of my three favorite texts in Elementary Geometry, and the only one written in English. It's a multipurpose text. You will probably won't cover these material at school, but if you are interested on math contests, or more serious geometry study, this is also a good text to follow to learn, or if you, like me, learned most of this material overa decade ago, but need a good text as a reference, this text is a great to do so. Dearly recommended.

Great book
This is a wonderful book if you want to gain a real understanding of what geometry can be (if you like this book you should buy the biography of Coxeter: "King of Infinite Space: Donald Coxeter, the Man Who Saved Geometry" - it is one of the best biographies of a mathematician on the market and shows that Coxeter was a genius and a hoot).However, if you know a significant amount of geometry, then try "Introduction to Geometry, 2nd Edition" as that is the more complete (and (very) much more rigorous) text.Also, if you like this book, then buy "Visual Complex Analysis".

PS.My son is using this book in his high school geometry course (at my insistence) rather than the 'text' he was issued.He is now assisting the teacher with the proofs and problems.

Incredibly helpful
I just worked through this book & I have to say that it's probably the best for "what's next" after high school geometry. It's got a chapter on each of the following things: triangles (with Ceva's & Steiner-Lehmus' theorems, orthic triangles & Euler lines, etc), circles (like power of a point, etc), collinearity & concurrence, transformations (Yaglom's series of 3 books are better for these though but this is a good introduction), and an intro to inversive geometry and projective geometry. One section that blew my mind is the one about the "3-jugs" problem where you've got a jug that holds 8L, one that holds 5L & one the holds 3L and the goal is to get 4L in each of two jugs. Maybe you've heard of it...? This book gives a general method for solving problems like that using reflections. I liked how each section is very short and typically has just 2-3 theorems, so the book is split into manageable pieces. Maybe it's just a psychological thing, but I like that. Depending on the section, there are 3-10 problems at the end of each section; like any book there are easy ones with fairly obvious solutions and there are hard ounes that take a lot of thought. I think the hard ones might have come from olympiads because Sam Greitzer was a USAMO coach at some point. It doesn't matter though, this book gives you a lot of tools you can use to deal with olympiad-level problems. A couple good ones to work on after this book would be Johnson's "Advanced Euclidean Geometry" and Court's "College Geometry", both out of print unfortunately but maybe a nearby library wold have them? ... 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..

----

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

Product Description
Test provides an effective, and totally painless way to learn the fundamentals and general concepts of geometry. Self-teaching guide offers multiple-choice questions at the end of each chapter, and a 100-question self-test. Softcover. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Solid for review or refreshment, weak choice for self-study
The talented and extremely dedicated person can use almost any reference for successful self-study; the differences between references are in the degree of difficulty. This book is touted as "A Self-teaching Guide", but it is higher on the scale of difficulty of use. Some time ago, I tutored a high school student in geometry and her text was a large hardback over 600 pages in length.
The reasons for the size of that textbook were clear, it takes that much surface area to completely describe the subject at the level of the beginner. Therefore, this book with half that many pages would have to be either efficiently compact or inadequate in explanation. While there are hints of the first, the second is more dominant, it would be very difficult for the beginner to learn geometry using this book. The fundamentals are quickly reviewed, but there is the assumption that the reader has had algebra at the level where they know how to rearrange expressions. Furthermore, it is assumed that the reader understands functions and shapes such as parabolas.
There are eleven chapters with a short quiz at the end of each one and a comprehensive final at the end. All questions are multiple choice and all solutions are included. This would make the book an excellent candidate for a review of geometry, but the swift pace and brevity would make it difficult to use as a reference in a self-study environment.

Not for Learning Geometry
This book demystifies geometry simply by offering definitions of geometric terms.And it does that pretty well.It does have quizzes at the end of each chapter but not much in the text to help you calculate the answers if you do not already have a grasp of the concept.For example, chapter one contains a definition of radians and a list of the range of radians for various types of angles ("an acute angle has a measure of more than 0 rad but less than pi/2 rad").That is it for radians.The chapter-one quiz then asks, "An angle measures 30 degrees.How many radians is this, approximately?" and offers four choices.If you turn back to the section on radians for help calculating the answer, you will be out of luck.There isn't any example of how to convert from degrees to radians.So you may struggle deciding that the straight angle is the basis, that thirty degrees is one sixth of 180, and that you need to multiply pi by one sixth to get your answer. If you knew geometry way back when and need a refresher, this book will work well for you.If you are studying geometry and need a supplemental reference, this will also work well for you.If you want to learn geometry, buy another book.This one really is not designed for that purpose.It does, though, contain many useful formulae.

Good book, a little confusing at times.
I found this book a little confusing at times, but maybe its me.I still highly recommend it,it is a fresh new angle on Geometry.

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.

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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Book arrived in a timely manner and as described.
I like to keep a copy of my kids text books at home so they don't have to carry a heavy backack every day, and there are no excuses for not doing homework. I try to find them as inexpensively as possible and ordering from Amazon makes it easy. This book arrived in a timely manner and was as described.

Great book
This book is what i need it, i have been doing better in my class now i can study at home too. By the way the shiping was faster then i was told. i really recommend the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not impressed
My daughter has this book in highschool.Of course it is only a workbook.The teacher hardly uses it, her teacher is great, and actually refers his struggling students to internet sites.What a shame that teachers are bound to books that are useless in the classroom.

Not a stand-alone resource
I got this thinking I would be able to practice problems without the main textbook.

I have a math minor but the lack of answers, sample problems, equations, or explainations made this virtually unusable as a tutoring tool.

I'm sending mine back.

a decent workbook for Geometry
This workbook is designed to go with the current(2007/8?) McDougall-Littel Geometry text.It has a worksheet for each lesson.Much of them seem to review topics from Algebra or prior Geometry curricula, so the work would be very repetetive for a student with a good grasp of pre-Algebra, and Algebra.It would be best used with a student who wanted to learn Geometry but didn't have a good knowledge of Algebra.

With those cautions, the workbook seems to have good problems and practice in Geometry and Algebra skills.There is plenty of room to work and the exercises are clear.

Good practice book if you have McDougal's ref book
I use this book in my geometry tutoring sessions. It is a good source for extra problems for students using McDougal's Geometry at school. It is adequate for tutoring sessions or for homework purposes but it would be hard to use as a self study guide.The obvious cons are;

1. It does not have the answers in the back,
2. Does not include enough "proof" problems... ... Read more

Product Description
Beyond the Flower of Life is a new Advanced MerKaBa book by Maureen J. St. Germain. If you are looking to enhance the MerKaBa practice or are ready to take it to the next level, this book was written with you in mind. Already practicing the MerKaBa Meditation and want to make it more fulfilling? Maureen St. Germain will give you MerKaBa insights to enhance what you already have. If you are looking for more heart centered awareness and understanding to fulfill your mind's longing, these tools help satisfy your mind, so it willingly quiets. If Higher Self contact is what you are looking for, Maureen offers a practical, achievable roadmap to manifest a 100% accurate relationship with your Higher Self. By teaching the MerKaBa to over 10,000 students worldwide and developing an Advanced Flower of Life workshop to accompany this work, Maureen has developed tools, techniques and knowledge to support your MerKaBa practice.

Beyond the Flower of Life will bring you peace, contentment and mastery. Along with MerKaBa insights, Beyond the Flower of Life offers the new information regarding the opening of the heart, the Christ Consciousness Grid, how to achieve Fifth Dimensional Awareness and going beyond Fifth Dimension. Since there is no higher energy than Love, Maureen believes it should be easy and effortless to marry the ego to the Higher Self producing Heaven on Earth. With almost 15 years as a Flower of Life course instructor and the outstanding success of her CDs, workshops and Sacred Journeys, she has more than proven this to be true. This unique book consists of steps to developing an accurate understanding of the MerKaBa Meditation and its capabilities - while strengthening your heart connection and learning to program your MerKaBa.

Since 1995, Maureen has developed these revolutionary techniques that allow one to gain full reliable access to their Higher Self. With these tools, MerKaBa Meditators will be able to achieve and exceed their understanding of the world around them and keep their heart open all the time. You may conclude that Maureen's Beyond the Flower of Life is the long awaited follow-up to Drunvalo Melchizedek's books, The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life, Vols. I & II. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

item has never arrived to review
I would love to give a review on this book but unlike my other purchases this one never arrived as yet been over a month most come with in two weeks.

Good but preachy
The book took awhile to get to me and though it is interesting, there seems to be too much preaching on what not to do. I do recommend learning the MerKaba meditation before reading this book. I plan on getting a CD from the same author on the MerKaBa as I was told the CD is really good.

A gift of extraordinary knowledge
I really enjoyed Maureen's knowledge, detailed experiences and spiritual tools she describes in this book...I refer back to it so much and am so grateful to have this book as a supplement to taking her Flower of Life workshops...truly a gift this knowledge is for us all!

Dreamwalker
This book is amazing, and I highly recommend it to everyone.Whether your are already on a spiritual path or just starting this book is just what youneed.Having learnt the merkaba from Maureen, she is one of the most gifted, generous and spiritual person I have met.

Enlightening
This takes the information that had come in Drunvalo's book to a new level.
The new material is priceless.Highly recommend, if you're into the Ascension
process. ... Read more

Product Description
Starting in June 2009, the New York State Board of Regents is reinstituting the high school geometry exam. This brand-new Regents Exams and Answers: Geometry joins Barron??s famous series of Regents ??Redbooks,?? presenting an in-depth subject review, plus hundreds of practice problems with answers. Topics reviewedinclude the language of geometry; parallel lines and quadrilaterals and coordinates; similarity; right triangles and trigonometry; circles and angle measurement; transformation geometry; locus and coordinates; and an introduction to solid geometry. Also presented is a full-length practice geometry exam that accurately reflects New York State Regents standards in subject matter and degree of difficulty. ... Read more

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