The Text of Euclid's Geometry

Abstract

THIS is a “prodigious” work of 182 pages demy 8vo, printed on excellent paper, with clearly-drawn figures, devoted to the “painful” elucidation of all the difficulties to be found in the first book of Euclid's Geometry, with such other matter as hath been adumbrated in the above-cited title-page. The road may be an easy one to walk in, all stones of offence being carefully put on one side or so rearranged that the wayfarer may not stumble as he saunters along it, but it certainly is a long road. The tendency of modern agitation a few years ago was to condense our text-books with a view to get up geometry in the minimum of time, but experience has taught us that in the majority of cases junior boys are very tender-footed, and cannot be driven along the geometrical path, and so there has been a reversion to the “grand old” book with many an aid to lure the young into paths not naturally attractive to them. We do not find fault with these attempts-we have recently noticed in these columns two admirable editions of the “Elements,”—but Mr. Paul has taken, we think, an extreme course: at some perhaps not distant date, if this sort of editing is catching, we shall have a similarly got-up work devoted to Euclid's treatment of isosceles triangles with a preliminary chapter on an axiom. The Text of Euclid's Geometry. Book I., uniformly and systematically arranged. With a discussion of Euclid's application of logical principles, copious notes, exercises, and a figure-book. By J. Dallin Paul. (Cambridge: Deighton, Bell, and Co., 1884.)