In this book, I. Ya. Bakel'man introduces inversion transformations in the Euclidean plane and discusses the interrelationships among more general mathematical concepts. The author begins by defining and giving examples of the concept of a transformation in the Euclidean plane, and then explains the "point of infinity" and the "stereographic projection" of the sphere onto the plane. With this preparation, the student is capable of applying the theory of inversions to classical construction problems in the plane.
The author also discusses the theory of pencils of circles, and he uses the...

Savory Suppers and Fashionable Feasts offers a delightfully flavorful tour of dining in America during the second half of the nineteenth century. Susan Williams investigates the manners and morals of that era by looking at its eating customs and cooking methods. As she reveals, genteel dining became an increasingly important means of achieving social stability during a period when Americans were facing significant changes on a variety of fronts - social, cultural, intellectual, technological, and demographic. Focusing on the rapidly expanding middle class, Williams not only examines mealtime...