Gaining Geometry Knowledge: A Guide to Books for the New Learner

[Molok]

So I decided to buy the book The Elements because i couldn't pass the offer up(for $10, can you believe that?) and there is a few things in there that I can't understand, so could anyone recommend some easier more basic geometry books that I could learn from to give me the basis for what i need to know to understand this geometry.

 

[ice109]

any high school textbook on plane geometry should be sufficient. the funny thing is i would love to take a class in it in college but it doesn't seem like something taught at the college level.

 

[symbolipoint]

So I decided to buy the book The Elements because i couldn't pass the offer up(for $10, can you believe that?) and there is a few things in there that I can't understand, so could anyone recommend some easier more basic geometry books that I could learn from to give me the basis for what i need to know to understand this geometry.

You can find a used Geometry textbook at some used book sales and community used book sources, although finding used Geometry books that way is sometimes not easy. A good author name to look for is Jurgennson. You could also look in a textbook catalog for a modern book.

You probably can skip attending a college course,but just study from the book on your own. Geometry as the college preparatory one taught in high schools is often taught in community colleges as a remedial course - the same as what is taught in a high school, but at a faster pace. Expect this course to NOT be taught in a regular undergraduate college.

 

[Molok]

Thanks I'll look into that.

 

[mathwonk]

i am using two books in my college level euclidean geometry course, one is very elementary, geometry for the classroom, by clemens and clemens, and more advanced is geometry: euclid and beyiond, by hartshorne, for his college level geometry course at uc berkeley. hartshoirne is closely linked with the elements, and helps wonderfully in understanding that great work.

euclidean geometry is not as easy as one might think, indeed there are possible phd level problems in the subject.