Can someone recommend a good basic book on Geometry? Let me be more specific on what I am looking for. I'd like a book that starts with Euclid's definitions and postulates and goes on from there to prove thereoms about triangles, circles and other plane shapes. I'm not interested (at this time) in a book that ties geometry in with linear algebra or explains non-euclidean geometry. All the books I've seen seem to be of two types
1) Let us use linear algebra and other techniques to put geometry on a firm footing. Let us assume you already know Eucliean geometry and move on to more interesting stuff. These are probably too advanced for me.
2) Let us skip all that complicated postulates/proofs and make geometry fun. Too easy.
When I was in 9th grade Honors Geometry way back in 1981/82 we had a textbook that, as I recall through my foggy memory, was very good and did systematically build up geometry from the propositions (5 of them?). And it certainly didn't attempt to address Hilbert's contributions to geometry or explain non-Euclidean geometry. Unfortunately, I don't recall the title or author. I suspect the book was used nationally though and for quite a number of years, so perhaps someone with a better memory than me can provide a title/author. I do recall it had all the postulates and most major thereoms listed at the end of the book.
My motivation is two fold…
1. Review the material myself in preparation for my advanced texts.
2. Help my children in a few years when they take geometry.
Books I could get for the iPad/Kindle or free books (Google?) would be most appreciatied, but I'm not opposed to killing a tree either 🙂
Thanks for all the help.
Dave
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