When looking for digital versions of this textbook, keep these "better" features in mind:
Unlike older classics, Oprea’s text was one of the first to heavily integrate symbolic computation. Whether you use Maple, Mathematica, or Python, the book provides a framework to calculate geometry, not just theorize about it. Seeing a minimal surface rendered on a screen makes the "Maximum Principle" much easier to digest. When looking for digital versions of this textbook,
The First and Second Fundamental Forms—the "DNA" of any surface. When looking for digital versions of this textbook,
The newer editions have updated computational exercises and clearer diagrams. When looking for digital versions of this textbook,
Don't skip the exercises on the First Fundamental Form; they are the foundation for everything that follows.
Read the "Historical Remarks" sections. Knowing why Gauss or Riemann cared about these problems makes the formulas stick.