Description: This is a comprehensive treatment of Minkowski geometry. The author begins by describing the fundamental metric properties and the topological properties of existence of Minkowski space. This is followed by a treatment of two-dimensional spaces and characterizations of Euclidean space among normed spaces. The central three chapters present the theory of area and volume in normed spaces--a fascinating geometrical interplay among the various roles of the ball in Euclidean space. Later chapters deal with trigonometry and differential geometry in Minkowski spaces. The book ends with a brief look at J. J. Schaffer's ideas on the intrinsic geometry of the unit sphere.
Review Quotes: "The author's writing is clear, scholarly and elegant. Each chapter opens with a summary and detailed text follows. An extensive commentary with historical notes closes the chapter. There is a comprehensive bibliography with entries as late as 1995. The printing is accurate and clear as are the many figures, some of which are beautiful." W.J. Firey, Mathematical Reviews