Euclid's Elements

Euclid's Elements is one of the most beautiful books in Western thought. Each proposition falls out of the last in perfect logical progression. One might be worried, since it is a math book. "High school geometry sucked!" I hear you cry. Let us be clear: this is not a math textbook. It is math at its finest. All the basic theorems you learned in that miserable high school class are proven within the first four books. Then come ratios. And numbers. You even get to build an tetrahedron in a sphere. Hate math? Buy this book and realize what math truly is. As for this particular edition, it is a lovely example of a book. The binding is excellent and stands up quite well to the test of time. I've been using my copy extensively for a year and it still looks brand-new. In addition, the diagrams repeat if necessary on different pages. This is appreciated, especially in longer propositions. Definitions are numbered, which is helpful for classroom discussion, and there is a Greek (and English) glossary at the end which is extremely helpful if one needs to know a particular word for a mathematical term or for looking up propositions centered around a certain mathematical object. Overall, a great edition that makes Euclid's Elements even better.

I've got an old, battered copy of volume of the Dover reprint of Heath's translation of The Thirteen Books of The Elements, and I was seriously contemplating buying the second and third volumes. I was delighted when I saw the Green Lion Press edition - all thirteen books in one, easy to read, volume. The publisher states that it is "the classic Heath translation, in a completely new layout with plenty of space and generous margins" - and I agree that the margins are generous (but I'm yet to find a suitable proof to grace their ampleness). Diagrams are thoughtfully reprinted on new pages, so there is never a need to keep flicking backwards and forwards. The text is clean, without the distractions of Heath's comments in all of their academic glory - I want to focus on Euclid, and not the process that has allowed this wonderful work to be handed down through the ages. Recommended if you like thinking about triangles, circles, pentagons, ratios, solid bodies etc... (if the original greek cranks your handle, go for the Dover reprints).

Buy this version... In programming CNC machines I get a chance to use various types of math in my job, so getting a complete course is a no-brainer. Reading the text from this 1940 translation by Sir Thomas Little Heath is really good. To those who haven't read this translation, this is a wonderful read for a math book. If you have already become familiar with the translation then you already know that descriptions of the geometric propositions can be difficult in the hands of anybody except for the Heath translation. I have read several types of Geometry primers over the years, and they all qualify as the dry math book description. Not this text. This text just jumps off the page and into your hands in a way that makes you want to solve the propositions in a straightforward and step by step manner. Feeling in charge of your use of the technology that Euclid excelled in teaching 2500 years ago is the greatest tribute to a teacher and to the translator that you can experience.

Euclid's Elements: all thirteen books complete in one volume. The Thomas L. Heath Translation. Dana Densmore, Editor. Santa Fe, New Mexico: Green Lion Press, 2002. Cloth, 529 pp. ISBN 1888009187. I have just received my hardcover copy of 'Euclid's Elements' and must say that Green Lion Press is to be congratulated on having given us, not only an accurate and uncluttered student-friendly edition of Euclid, but a book that in terms of its physical makeup is truly splendid. What a striking contrast this Green Lion Press book is to the over-priced trash so many publishers see fit to inflict on us today. Rather than the sort of pseudo-book we have grown accustomed to - books on paper of mediocre quality in imitation cloth-covered boards; books with those wretched thermoplastic spines that either won't open flat or if opened will immediately crack; books designed to self-destruct after only minimal use - Green Lion Press has given us something very different. Their hardcover edition is cased in sturdy real cloth-covered boards. Its pages are Smyth-sewn in the traditional manner so that the book will open flat. It is beautifully printed on durable high-quality paper and the typography and layout are also excellent. Green Lion Press has, in short, given us A REAL BOOK at a reasonable price, one that will easily withstand the heavy use most readers will be giving it, and one that is a truly fitting vehicle for this masterpiece of Greek wisdom.

No doubt this is a precious edition, but the recent one by Richard Fitzpatrick in Greek and English is really astounding (and affordable), especially the version in 4 volumes, where a full page (and more than one if needed) is generously given to each proposition. OTH I find the classical Heath/Dover edition an essential reference, precisely for the illuminating Heath's interspersed commentary. In fact Heath's "A History of Greek Mathematics" and the shorter "A Manual of Greek Mathematics" are just as essential to a better understanding of Euclid, and of course Greek Mathematics. As a complementary/companion reading I would heartily recommend Benno Artmann's excellent "Euclid - The Creation of Mathematics", priceless, if only, for its bibliography. An indispensable and brilliant mathematical "guided reading" based on the development of Greek Mathematics, fundamental for an overall understanding of the Elements, is B. L. van der Waerden's "Science Awakening" (1954, out of print, but still possible to find). A philological approach, incredibly rich in its revelations about the Elements and early Greek Mathematics in general is Arpad Szabo's "The Beginnings of Greek Mathematics" (very expensive!, but worth every penny). An then there's David Fowler's "The Mathematics of Plato's Academy", an up-to-date comprehensive account on Greek Mathematics of the time, and Euclid of course. Just a final, more general comment. Through its many layers Euclid's Elements is a key to the better understanding of our deepest roots. I myself discovered it late in my life and cannot believe what I missed. I now understand that the fundamentals of Ancient Greece - and consequently ours - cannot be fully grasped without this book. It would be no exaggeration to affirm that Plato and Aristotle are not fully intelligible without Euclid and that, in general, without knowledge of the Elements Ancient Greece would be just a "shadow of the past", devoid of the sparkling light cast by its mathematics and science.

in English is the Heath translation, so I am told. Maybe, but seemingly endless minutia comparing every conceivable argument and complaint made in over two thousand years of criticism, which necessitates tiny print spread over three volumes, does not make for a very user-friendly experience. The folks at Green Lion Press have removed all that extraneous and somewhat tedious material and have retained the essence of Heath and the Elements in a single, splendid, utilitarian volume. This is a book that is meant for serious daily use with heavy paper, sewn bindings and plenty of white space for notes. The layout is just right, with attention taken to make sure that all figures are exactly where needed so that there is no page flipping to find any figure that is referred to in the text. This publisher clearly has taken a great deal of pride in producing a volume that feels good to hold and use. Euclid is better because of the craftsmanship that went into this edition. If you own only one geometry book, this should be it. The 1908 Cambridge edition of Heath is available online from Google Books as a set of three free pdf files, so the full result of his impressive scholarship is readily available to anyone who enjoys delving deep into the details of that extensive variorum set.

Thomas L. Heath's translation is the most authoritative translation of Euclid's Elements in English. The extensive research he put into translating the work the way he did can be found in The Thirteen Books of Euclid's Elements, Books 1 and 2 , which I would recommend to anyone who wants to further investigate Euclid, and his influences. As far as this copy is concerned, it's amazing. I got the hardcover copy, and a friend got the softcover. They are both sufficient for studying - huge margins, large pages, and diagrams on every page (so you are not constantly flipping back and forth between pages). This book was not designed for portability, so don't be surprised by its size - it's about the size of a regular math textbook. If anyone intends to thoroughly study The Elements, this is the copy I would recommend.

All 13 books in one, nice big words and graphs, high quality materials. Book not too big or heavy.

I have never possessed a science/math book that can compete with the clarity, simplicity, and beauty of this book. The way Euclid has organized his geometry has inspired generations of mathematicians. Even the early 20th Century mathematicians and philosophers attempted to imitate Euclid's elegance by inventing their own axiomatic approach to entire mathematics. One can understand why they were compelled to do so after reading this book. As a math tutor, I am saddened to find that the schools do not make it a standard textbook for geometry. I recommend this book to everyone for whom math is a hobby and also to those who seek an escape from daily turmoil by finding a new worthwhile hobby. As regard to the edition and quality of book : The paper quality is excellent. Diagrams are neat. You won't have to turn the pages to refer to diagrams, since they copy the diagram to next page if explanation continues to the next page. Translation is perfect.

the book looks beautiful and it's of good quality. and the contents are amazing of course. if you like maths and are tired of complicated proofs and long computations, this book is the ideal way to relax!

What I did not quite get from the book description and details on Amazon is that the content itself is not really a reading to enjoy. I mean the content is structured by putting one after another all the geometric theorems. There is no much explanation or introduction or warm-up so to speak for each of those theorems. But I guess that this is actually because the original Euclid's book was exactly like that. to sum up, it's all good but if you are looking for a book explaining more these theorems or giving some more context about the author and his work, then, maybe there are other books better than this one here.

This edition of Euclid's Elements is formatted in the style of a modern textbook. It is surprisingly easy to read and follow a text that was written more than two millennia ago. I have enjoyed reading ancient proofs of mathematical theorems. It is also very interesting to see how Euclid proved algebraic properties using only geometry. It is a must-read for mathematics enthusiasts, and this is my favourite edition. I also own the gorgeous Byrne edition. This edition is not nearly as beautiful, but it is much more practical. The Byrne edition is very difficult to read. I would get the Byrne edition to have as a coffee table book that nobody ever expects to read. On the other hand, this edition is the right edition if you actually want to read the book and enjoy its contents.

A compilação feita por Euclides foi tão perfeita que até hoje é usada nas escolas. O autor foi e continua sendo o professor de todos nós.