Harold R. Jacobs

Every chapter starts with an cartoon or picture and a citation from great literature which illustrate that chapter's subject material. (I remember passages from Tolkien, Carroll, and Thurber, among others.) All of the points in the diagrams spell out words and the words in each chapter belong to a theme. (E.g., one chapter's words were SHIP, BOAT, YACHT, etc.) It's very rare that I have such fond memories of a textbook, particularly a textbook from in middle school. This book, however, is show more fantastic. show less

The best mathematics textbook I have ever seen, and the only one I have kept for the joy of re-reading and browsing. It's equally suitable for a high-school senior who is not really a math geek, or a junior-high student who emphatically is. It requires only rudimentary algebra, but touches on many of the interesting topics that typical high school math programs never manage to include.

A stunning visual treat combined with imaginative and compelling examples from a vast range of cultures and professions that bring elementary geometry to life in a unique way.