Geometry Demystified

by Stan Gibilisco

Book Overview

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0071416501
• ISBN13: 9780071416504
• Release Date: June 2003
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing
• Length: 310 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

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.

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.

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.

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).)