This is a fabulous book that will satiate all of your architectural curiosity. It has tremendous pictures and very readable text. We highly recommend it.
Arabic Geometrical Pattern and Design
This is a book of 200 blackline plates of arabic geometrical patterns. They can be used to color some gorgeous designs, or just use them to spark your own creativity. A person could get some majorly interesting quilt designs or fabric designs from this book.
Cut and Assemble 3-D Geometrical Shapes
This gets our highest rating. This book is made of brightly colored, heavy cardstock. Ten model patterns are printed with understandable directions for how to assemble the polyhedrons. The Great Stellated Dodecahedron with its many sharp yellow spikes is our favorite. You can make these while relaxing or even watching TV. When you are done, you will have some very impressive room decorations as well as a much more thorough knowledge of the geometry of polyhedrons.
Flatland is one of the very few novels about math and philosophy that can appeal to almost any layperson. Published in 1880, this short fantasy takes us to a completely flat world of two physical dimensions where all the inhabitants are geometric shapes, and who think the planar world of length and width that they know is all there is. But one inhabitant discovers the existence of a third physical dimension, enabling him to finally grasp the concept of a fourth dimension. Watching our Flatland narrator, we begin to get an idea of the limitations of our own assumptions about reality, and we start to learn how to think about the confusing problem of higher dimensions. The book is also quite a funny satire on society and class distinctions of Victorian England.
Unless you're a mathematician, the chances of you reading any novels about geometry are probably slender. But if you read only two in your life, these are the ones. Taken together, they form a couple of accessible and charming explanations of geometry and physics for the curious non-mathematician. Flatland, which is also available under separate cover, was published in 1880 and imagines a two-dimensional world inhabited by sentient geometric shapes who think their planar world is all there is.
The further mathematical fantasy, Sphereland, published 60 years later, revisits the world of Flatland in time to explore the mind-bending theories created by Albert Einstein, whose work so completely altered the scientific understanding of space, time, and matter. Among Einstein's many challenges to common sense were the ideas of curved space, an expanding universe and the fact that light does not travel in a straight line. Without use of the mathematical formulae that bar most non-scientists from an understanding of Einstein's theories, Sphereland gives lay readers ways to start comprehending these confusing but fundamental questions of our reality.
Reviewer: Chang Yuon from Berkeley, California has this to say about this textbook:
I really enjoyed reading this text. This book is very sensitive to students who are encountering proof for the first time. Jacobs does a great job in building the subject. His motivations and also the humor in the text is what makes this book so enjoyable to read. What's more amazing is that he still maintains all the rigor that is critical for advance studies in mathematics.
Holt, Rinehart and Winston Geometry
We give this geometry textbook our highest rating. The truth is that while reviewing this book, our main editor couldn't put it down. She told us that she went to bed with it, fascinated to see what the authors were going to offer in each new section.
This text teaches rich geometry by DOING it. The applications are the best we have ever seen.
One of our favorite examples is the Origami Paper Folding Project in Chapter one~ Students are instructed how to make a paper crane and then they open the paper and examine the various angles and geometric figures formed by the creases. They are asked to describe what they see and to examine the figures for congruence as well. This activity is a great "hands-on" review of the topics covered in chapter one.
Research shows that this type of "examine it with your hands and your mind" teaching conveys mathematics much more efficiently than a straight lecture and notes approach. It is wonderful to experience a texbook that offers this kind of teaching with every lesson.
Regardless of your age or experience, these lessons will get you involved with exciting, relevant mathematics. Every lesson grows carefully with lots of opportunity for practice, discovery and enrichment. If you need a new Geometry textbook, look into this. You won't regret it!
From the Back Cover
Includes a handy glossary of geometric terms for easy reference.
The pain-free way to explore geometry — and come out smiling.All right, you've got to know some geometry. Relax! With the help of expert Wendy Arnone, you'll tackle everything from points and planes to triangles, proofs, and more. This friendly guide explains it all in easy-to-understand, no-nonsense language.
Discover how to: Explore postulates and theorems Calculate area, circumference, and more. Solve linear equations. Determine ratios Work with coordinates and loci. Understand trigonometry The Dummies Way™.
Explanations are in plain English, "Get in, get out" information Icons and other navigational aids, tear-out cheat sheet, top ten lists, and a healthy dash of humor and fun.
The Author Wendy Arnone, PhD, New York University's School of Education, is the president of her own consulting company that creates concepts and content for educational and corporate entities.
Geometry Teacher's Activities Kit
Here is a Geometry teacher's dream resource. It's filled with hands on exploration activities designed to get students really thinking geometrically. Even if you aren't a teacher, if you want to truly EXPLORE what geometry really is with your hands as well as your mind, then this book is for you.
This book is a definite WOW! Learn how to make simple geometric tessellations as well as the geo/artistic "Escher type" tessellations. Very readable text with TONS of illustrations. We give this book our highest recommendation. We have used the lessons in this book with thousands of students. It never fails to entertain and educate!
The Math Teacher's BOOK OF LISTS
A fantastic info. source for math teachers in any grade.
Reviewer: A reader from Columbia, SC
This book contains mathematical information on a huge variety of subjects as well as steps to solving almost any type of problem you can think of. Topics covered include number theory and operations, measurement,geometry, algebra, trigonometry, calculus,and two sections titled "Math in Other Areas" and "Potpourri". The last two sections contain information invaluable in planning and implementing integrated mathematics lessons. This book is an excellent source for the neat facts that make math exciting and interesting for students and teachers.
A fantastic resource for teachers. This book is also for anyone who wants to keep their math intelligence sharp with a problem a day. 650 ready to use starters that get you quickly focused and working. These starter problems can be done in 5 to 10 minutes and are geared for grades 6-12. Topics covered include: Whole Numbers: theory and operation, Fractions, Decimals and Percents, Measurement, Geometry, Algebra, and general Potpourri. Complete answer keys are included.
Multidimensional Transformations Unit Origami
This book uses simple origami shapes and inserts them into each other to creat multidimensional, geometric, art shapes. The possibilities are endless once you learn the technique.
String Straightedge and Shadow
This is a WONDERFULLY readable history of the origins of geometry. You begin to feel what it must have been like when the mathematics was being discovered. We feel like we know Pythagoras after reading this book.
It's amazing that there was no such thing as school in his day. He had to pay a homeless kid to listen to him. Finally, when Pythagoras ran out of money, the kid and some of his friends started paying Pythagoras to continue the lessons, and thus the concept of "school" was born. It's amazing to see what that concept has evolved into in our day.
You might have to use the "out of print service" since this is an older book. If you can find it, you'll be glad, because it is terrific.
This is a "must read" for anyone who wants to be a teacher of mathematics at any level.
Triad Optical Illusions and How to Design Them
A triad is something that can be drawn on a 2 dimensional surface but can not be constructed in the third dimension. It's a sort of visual paradox, and as such, will intrigue the analytical mathematician in you with the beauty of illusion.
This book explains how to construct them and offers 32 reproducable plates.
