Ranging from ancient Greece, through Victorian England, to modern-day America, this is a story that encompasses religion, science, and pseudoscience, as well as a spectacular array of people and places.

With detailed explanations and numerous examples, this textbook covers the differential geometry of surfaces in Euclidean space.

Written to appeal to general readers interested in popular science and geographical intrigues, this book will also be greeted enthusiastically by surveyors, historians of science, physicists, teachers, and other specialist audiences.

"Denny details the evolution of navigation from the days of coastal piloting to GPS and other modern-day technologies.