College Geometry: A Problem Solving Approach with Applications

Rating:
Summary: An outstanding introduction to geometric thought
Review: 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.