"It is obvious that the ancient Greeks were enthralled by the symmetries, the visual beauty, and the subtle logical structure of geometry. Particularly intriguing was the manner in which the simple and elementary could serve as foundation for the complex and intricate." p. 11

"What Euclid did that established him as one of the greatest names in mathematics history was to write the Elements. This work had a profound impact on Western thought as it was studied, analyzed, and edited for century upon century, down to modern times. It has been said that of all books from Western civilization, only the Bible has received more intense scrutiny than Euclid's Elements." p.30

"One of the genuine attractions of number theory is that conjectures simple enough to be understood by elementary school students nonetheless have been immune to the efforts of generations of the world's best mathematicians. It seems an especially...