Course in Simple-Homotopy Theory

This book grew out of courses which I taught at Cornell University and the University of Warwick during 1969 and 1970. I wrote it because of a strong belief that there should be readily available a semi-historical and geo­ metrically motivated exposition of J. H. C. Whitehead''s beautiful theory of simple-homotopy types; that the best way to understand this theory is to know how and why it was bui...