Harold Jacobs Geometry 1st/first edition?

[christian0710]

Hi, Just wondering. Has anyone tried Harold Jacobs Geometry first edition (1974). I've considered getting it instead of 2nd edition, but don't know how big the difference is between them.

 

[Tobias Funke]

From when I was thinking about a geometry book to get, I thought I remembered another member, mathwonk, mentioned that he likes the first edition. Googling "jacobs geometry mathwonk" led right to his quote:

"i looked in vain for the promised review of these books. I am a longtime fan of harold jacobs' book, first edition, which my 8 year old enjoyed, and was saddened by the watering down of the 3rd edition, rendering it less fun and less rigorous at the same time!

that is hard to do, but they not only took out much of the wonderful discussion of proofs and logic, enlivened by hilarious rhymes and puzzles from lewis carroll, but also removed many of the witty cartoons, replacing them with unfunny ones, as if not only logic but also cleverness were evil somehow in learning geometry."

No mention of the second edition, but mathwonk is a professional mathematician--I think a geometer even--so if he likes the first edition I'm sure it's good. He seems to prefer the earlier editions of most books, actually.

 

[christian0710]

From when I was thinking about a geometry book to get, I thought I remembered another member, mathwonk, mentioned that he likes the first edition. Googling "jacobs geometry mathwonk" led right to his quote:

"i looked in vain for the promised review of these books. I am a longtime fan of harold jacobs' book, first edition, which my 8 year old enjoyed, and was saddened by the watering down of the 3rd edition, rendering it less fun and less rigorous at the same time!

that is hard to do, but they not only took out much of the wonderful discussion of proofs and logic, enlivened by hilarious rhymes and puzzles from lewis carroll, but also removed many of the witty cartoons, replacing them with unfunny ones, as if not only logic but also cleverness were evil somehow in learning geometry."

No mention of the second edition, but mathwonk is a professional mathematician--I think a geometer even--so if he likes the first edition I'm sure it's good. He seems to prefer the earlier editions of most books, actually.

Thank you very much, that gave me the confidence to devote myself to go throught it :)