Christian Bar is Professor of Geometry in the Institute for Mathematics at the University of Potsdam, Germany.
'The book under review presents a detailed and pedagogically excellent study about differential geometry of curves and surfaces by introducing modern concepts and techniques so that it can serve as a transition book between classical differential geometry and contemporary theory of manifolds. the concepts are discussed through historical problems as well as motivating examples and applications. Moreover, constructive examples are given in such a way that the reader can easily develop some understanding for extensions, generalizations and adaptations of classical differential geometry to global differential geometry.' Zentralblatt MATH