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The Thirteen Books of the Elements, Vol. 1: Books 1-2 2nd Edition

by Thomas L. Heath (Author), Euclid (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 36 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0486600888
ISBN-10: 0486600882
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 464 pages
  • Publisher: Dover Publications; 2 edition (June 1, 1956)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0486600882
  • ISBN-13: 978-0486600888
  • Product Dimensions: 1 x 5.5 x 8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #117,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

90 of 94 people found the following review helpful
Euclid Alone Has Looked on Beauty Bare
By Timothy Haugh VINE VOICE on August 5, 2001
Format: Paperback
I have taught high school geometry for nearly ten years now. It is a subject of which I am very fond. And yet, even though we call the subject Euclidean geometry, very few people, even those of us who teach it, have a clear idea of what exactly it was that Euclid did. We might use the compass and straightedge occasionally but not with Euclid's methodology. I think that this is too bad.
Over the course of the past year or so, I have made it a quest to prove the propositions of The Elements in Euclid's style. Thus far (and at a leisurely pace), I have made it through the first two books outlined in this volume. It has been a wonderful experience that has deepened my knowledge of this subject and, hopefully, has made me a better teacher of it to my students. I am looking forward to going through the remaining eleven books of the last two volumes.
Some things of which a reader should be aware: this volume only contains Euclid's first two books which, in and of themselves, are not very long; however, this volume also contains 150 pages of introduction and significant commentary on nearly every definition, postulate and proposition by Sir Thomas L. Heath. I found much of this very enlightening and was glad to have it included. Still, this material could easily be a stumbling block for weaker students and people interested in Euclid alone. Heath's notes are very detailed and assume a knowledge of certain things (such as classical languages) that are not a common part of the modern curriculum. But, remember, this commentary was written nearly 100 years ago. Don't let it stand in your way. It can be a bonus but, if you have trouble connecting with it, skip it. The notes and commentary should be considered gravy for the prime component here: Euclid's text.Read more ›
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50 of 52 people found the following review helpful
Profoundly humbling.
By Neutiquam Erro on February 23, 2007
Format: Paperback
It is difficult to argue with the fact that Euclid stands as one of the founding figures of mathematics. The ability of the ancient Greeks to perform complex mathematical calculations using only logic, a compass and a straight edge is profoundly humbling. Euclid's 13 books cover an enormous swath of math, from planar geometry to trignometry to irrational numbers and root finding to 3D geometry. At one point you feel he is on the cusp of discovering the Calculus. Considering these pages were written more than two thousand years ago I stand in awe.

That said, I have some serious problems with the way Euclid's materials are presented in this Dover Mathematics book. The book itself (a three volume set actually) is a reproduction of Sir Thomas Heath's famous Elements of 1908. This is the second Dover edition and it is unabridged. Usually I'm not a fan of abridgements but this book could certainly use it. At the very least some modernization of the notes and introductory essays would seem to be in order. Of course, if you approach this book as a mathematician, you will likely skip over the first hundred or so pages and be spared some pain. If you are a student of philosophy you aren't so lucky. Heath's notes are dense, tangential, and require the mastery of at least four languages, two of which are now dead. Latin and Greek quotes of considerable length are left untranslated as an exercise for the reader, and French and German receive similar treatment. At times the footnotes threaten to overwhelm the text and for every page of Euclid there must be at least 3 pages of commentary. References to obscure mathematical theory and little known Greek manuscripts abound.Read more ›
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42 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Comprehensive English language review of _Elements I and II_
By A Customer on May 18, 1999
Format: Paperback
At the time of this writing, the sales summary points out "Vol. 1", but it does not point out that it is "Volume 1 of 3". Volume 1 provides a historical summary of work that followed _Elements_, along with a detailed translation of Book I and Book II. Heath includes bracketed references to justify each critical step of each proof. The text surrounding each Euclidean statement is detailed, but often very lengthy; at times, this detracts from the reading of the _Elements_ itself. This set is for the scholar of the history of _Elements_, and not the best source for a first-time reading of Euclid. Even with these minor quibbles, however, my copy of Volume I is a well-worn, beloved volume with frequently-annotated margins. All of the major "players" in the development of Geometry are detailed within, as well as their contributions.
I recommend it highly for any scholar that wishes to understand _Elements_ thoroughly, through a close reading of a detailed text.
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51 of 54 people found the following review helpful
Reviewing editor Heath, not Euclid
By C. Jones on August 17, 2004
Format: Paperback
Euclid hardly needs reviews after two millennia of endorsements. Until the advent of mass-produced texts, endorsements came by way of large sums of money or time, or both. Therefore, if we do not understand what Euclid is writing about, there is overwhelming evidence that this failure is ours, not Euclid's. If we decry the unfamiliarity of Euclid's way of reasoning and his manner of writing his mathematics as being less clear or efficient than our own, we are simply expressing our faith--perhaps misplaced--in our own mathematical culture. Clearly, if one's purpose is to learn geometric techniques and results, other books may serve as well or better; if one's purpose is to understand mathematics, the thirteen books of the Elements are without equal.

The Heath edition of Euclid's Elements actually consists of three volumes: volume 1 has Euclid's Books I and II; Heath's volume 2 contains Euclid's Books III - IX; and his volume 3 encompasses Euclid's remaining Books X - XIII. Books VII, VIII, and IX are about "arithmetic," not "geometry"--a feature of the Elements often left unstated. Throughout, Heath intersperses his notes and comments, so the three volumes actually consist of as much Heath as Euclid. (Just Heath's translation, alone, is reproduced in the Great Books of the Western World, published in 1952 by University of Chicago.) Up until recently, maybe as late as the nineteenth century, a typical reader of Euclid would be quite familiar with Plato and therefore know that arithmetic and geometry are the philosophical branches of mathematics; music and astronomy are the remaining branches of mathematics, although somewhat contaminated since--in the Greek understanding as expressed by Plato--music and astronomy introduce motion, which is not strictly a mathematical topic.Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Five Stars

good.

Published 1 month ago by S. POROY
The paper edition is very good in terms of content

The paper edition is very good in terms of content. Unfortunately, the newer Dovers (with their glue binding) aren't nearly as durable as the the older editions with sewn bindings. Read more

Published 5 months ago by Amazon Customer
The book was sent in good time and was as clean as the description...

The book was sent in good time and was as clean as the description depicted. Thanks for a great book at an amazing price.

Published 5 months ago by rmccain001
Four Stars

Great info
Thanks

Published 5 months ago by Robert Williams
The essence of ALL fundamental reasoning distilled into three very ...

The essence of ALL fundamental reasoning distilled into three very affordable and faithful translations... Read more

Published 8 months ago by Bookreview79
Five Stars

Great

Published 14 months ago by C L Geigner
Math's great even when it's Math

Beginnings of Geometry and mathmatic theorems, def recommend for all reading. 9 more words required for print here it is.

Published 22 months ago by C. Teves
Obscure, arcane, convoluted, and fascinating

I have been enjoying this book, but it is not for most people. It is difficult to wade through and I would not recommend it for anyone but math historians or someone who would... Read more

Published 22 months ago by J. Norton
Human curiosity

Euclid wrote this text on Greek geometry and mathematics ca. 300 BC. He lived in Alexandria that was the scientific capital in the Greek world. Read more

Published 23 months ago by Veli-Pekka Ranta
Great commentary on Euclid

Very interesting work that takes a serious look at geometry building from the ultimate basic assumptions and building from there. I definitely love Thomas L. Heath's commentary. Read more

Published on November 6, 2013 by M. J.

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