Our review of the Russian literature on geodesy caused a desire to consider the texts related to determining the heights of points on the earth’s surface. This topic, seeming simple, is very complex and is a mandatory part of most textbooks for students of geodetic specialties in universities and colleges. The presentation of the heights theory in the course of topography affects not only the specialized departments of construction, polytechnic universities and specialized colleges, but higher geodetic educational institutions as well. The authors review and evaluate the sections on the theory of heights in the domestic educational geodetic literature. Typical inaccuracies in the presentation of elevation systems are analyzed, criticism of the most common clichés among surveyors is given, recommendations are made on the minimum of presentation of the elevation system for non-specialists, and some useful illustrations are provided to make understanding the essence of the phenomenon easier. The article was written basing on the experience of lecturing height systems by employees of the departments of surveying and higher geodesy. We hope to arouse the interest to this topic.