Geometry for Dummies

by Mark Ryan

Hit the geometry wall? Get up and running with this no-nonsense guide! Does the thought of geometry make you jittery? You're not alone. Fortunately, this down-to-earth guide helps you approach it from a new angle, making it easier than ever to conquer your fears and score your highest in geometry. From getting started with geometry basics to making friends with lines and angles, you'll be proving triangles congruent, calculating circumference, using formulas, and serving up pi in no time.

Geometry is a subject full of mathematical richness and beauty. But it's a subject that bewilders many students because it's so unlike the math they've done before--it requires the use of deductive logic in formal proofs. If you're having a hard time wrapping your mind around what that even means, you've come to the right place! Inside, you'll find out how a proof's chain of logic works and even discover some secrets for getting past rough spots along the way. You don't have to be a math genius to grasp geometry, and this book helps you get un-stumped in a hurry!


Find out how to decode complex geometry proofs Learn to reason deductively and inductively Make sense of angles, arcs, area, and more Improve your chances of scoring higher in your geometry class There's no reason to let your nerves get jangled over geometry--your understanding will take new shape with the help of Geometry For Dummies.

Genres: Mathematics, Reference, Nonfiction, Education, Science

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But geometry is also a subject that bewilders many students because it’s so unlike the math that they’ve done before. Geometry requires you to use deductive logic in formal proofs. This process involves a special type of verbal and mathematical reasoning that’s new to many students. Seeing where to go next in a proof — or even where to start — can be challenging. The subject also involves working with two- and three-dimensional shapes: knowing their properties, finding their areas and volumes, and picturing what they would look like when they’re moved around. This spatial reasoning element of geometry is another thing that makes it different and challenging."

Challenging and requiring more work than it might seem. It’s not just about pretty shapes: "As unpopular as the notion may be, understanding geometry does require some effort from time to time. I’ve tried to make this material as accessible as possible, but it is math after all. You can’t learn geometry by listening to a book-on-tape while lying on the beach."

But, for me (since I don’t need to know where two trains running in opposite directions at different speeds will meet), geometry is a more useful subject: "Shapes are everywhere, so every educated person should have a working knowledge of shapes and their properties. The geometry of shapes comes up often in daily life, particularly with measurements. In day-to-day life, if you have to buy carpeting or fertilizer or grass seed for your lawn, you should know something about area. You might want to understand the measurements in recipes or on food labels, or you may want to help a child with an art or science project that involves geometry. You certainly need to understand something about geometry to build some shelves or a backyard deck. And after finishing your work, you might be hungry — a grasp of how area works can come in handy when you’re ordering pizza: a 20-inch pizza is four, not two, times as big as a 10-incher, and a 14-inch pizza is twice as big as a 10-incher."

This book hit a sweet spot in my need to know (or remember) 4*

[Shelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly, this was the best geometry text I could find at the local library. I've requested one from another branch, and as soon as it is available, I'll probably scrap this one. The snarky comments throughout are just too much for me.

After spending a couple of hours in the first four or five chapters of this book, I have decided that I can't go on. It's too painful, and it's not the geometry that's painful. This book is insulting to math, and really to the reader. Maybe that's the whole point of this Dummies series, I don't know, I don't have much (any) experience with them. I will wait until the other geometry book becomes available at the library. The math in this book might be sound, but the presentation is just insulting.

[Chris Jaffe · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I've been on his self-improvement kick the last few months. Part of it: every standardized test I've ever taken tells me that math should be my best subject, but I always hated it. So let's approach it with a new mindset - embrace the challenge of it. Well. ... I still hate geometry. I can appreciate it. I know Lincoln learned it and you can the iron-trap logic in many of legal arguments and political speeches. But I just plain find it boring. The book isn't bad. It just isn't my subject.

[Renee]

I enjoy this book because it makes me laugh as I am relearning geometry. He understands what can frustrate students when taking geometry. He uses everyday language that helps me read and understand faster.
I didn't go through this whole book, but I still enjoyed it.

[Davidd Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I could notice: one or two misprints, one or two errors, trying to push his "nomenclature," and cringing comments and "jokes."
Were not for those comments and "jokes", I would give it 5 stars. I blame the editors.
Great intro for geometry, if you can skip the bad parts.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used this for a refresher before moving on to calculus (one really needs a solid grasp of algebra, trigonometry, and geometry before tacking calculus).

There were no problems except those worked as examples but you can work them first before looking at their solution (which is usually more elegant than mine).

[Aditya Jha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Book!

I loved reading this book. It was very fun to read it. T h a n k y o u.

[Dahlia · Rating 4 out of 5]

math 😀👍

[Serafim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great refresher

I just love these "for Dummies" books! This one brought me memories from school and high school. A great refresher on the Geometry subject.

[Mical Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this book, because I wanted to learn it a little sooner. I want to be able to pass my math class next year, in flying colors. The "plot" of this book, is to help you understand Geometry. Understand the concept, and why its needed. I would recommend this book to anyone who is OK with snide comments of Geometry as you learn it. I don't really have a favorite part due to it being a book of learning geometry. I liked the whole book equally.

[Nicol · Rating 5 out of 5]

My teenager understands geometry but this helped me understand it with her by giving me a good refresher course that wasn't mind numbingly boring. It was there for a quick reference if my teenager needed it but mostly I found it useful.

[Jeffrey Sylvester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book. Very comprehensive. The workbook is essential for this text however as one can never fully understand proofs unless working them out from scratch. This book seriously helped me with my GMAT preparation (even though there are relatively few geometry problems on the GMAT).

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is simple and easy to understand. After the purchase of this book, my daughter got her first "A". I believe it was instrumental in helping her to achieve a 4 on the FCAT. Thanks Mark Ryan

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't to fond of the this book probably because i hate math and my aunt made me read it but i think it'll help when i have geometry class.

[Anil]

excited