David Acheson transports us into the world of geometry, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. He describes its history, from ancient Greece to the present day, and its emphasis on proofs. With its elegant deduction and practical applications, he demonstrates how geometry offers the quickest route to the spirit of mathematics at its best.



How can we be sure that Pythagoras's theorem is really true? Why is the 'angle in a semicircle' always 90 degrees? And how can tangents help determine the speed of a bullet? David Acheson takes the reader on a highly illustrated tour through the history of geometry, from ancient Greece to the present day. He emphasizes throughout elegant deduction and practical applications, and argues that geometry can offer the quickest route to the whole spirit of mathematics at its best. Along the way, we encounter the quirky and the unexpected, meet the great personalities involved, and uncover some of the loveliest surprises in mathematics.