Mumford's great short book "Curves and their Jacobians" is about that "amazing synthesis of algebra, geometry and analysis", as Mumford expresses it. The book's goal is to provide readers an overview what the zoo of curves looks like. Arithmetic issues are not discussed.


Ouch, I forgot to recommend <a href="http://books.google.de/books?id=QSfdTtwD9I4C&dq=herbert+Clemens+%22scrapbook%22&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=1DNW3j-zCv&sig=cDFdmjz9W7eB_EpmucHIBQoua4I&hl=de&ei=_srmSpjUJ8SA_Qbr0v2MCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CA0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false" title="Clemens' book">this very beautifull and readable book by Clemens</a>. The chapter "Manin and the unity of mathematics" is esp. fascinating as it is about a startling connection with the arithmetics.