Shape

  • Author Jordan Ellenberg
  • Narrator Jordan Ellenberg
  • Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
  • Run Time 14 hours and 24 minutes
  • Format Audio
  • Genre Geometry, Popular science.
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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

How should a democracy choose its representatives? How does disease spread? How do computers teach themselves chess, and why is chess easier for them than analyzing a sentence? What should your kids study in school if they really want to learn to think? All of these are questions about geometry.

Jordan Ellenberg reveals the mathematics behind some of the most important scientific, political and philosophical conundrums we face. The word 'geometry', from the Greek, means 'measuring the world'. If anything, geometry doesn't just measure the world - it explains it. Shape shows us how.

© Jordan Ellenberg 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

Critics Review

  • This mind-bending book will change how you see the world (Five stars)

    Telegraph

  • Shape is a triumph of mathematical exposition, exposing profound truths – from the nature of distance to the predictability of randomness – as well as profound mistakes – from historical misattributions to Supreme Court justice hardheadedness – with eloquence and hilarious wit. Ellenberg’s evident affection for both his subject and his reader makes us feel like the lucky ones who get to hear him hold forth in an intimate setting about his favorite subject, mathematics

    Cathy O'Neil

  • Ellenberg’s skill as a storyteller, combined with a natural ability to spot otherwise obscure connections, enables him to capitalize on geometry as math’s gateway drug… A deeply enjoyable and insightful book

    New York Times

  • Ellenberg, in both his arguments and his enthusiasm, is persuasive

    New Statesman

  • Serious mathematics at its intriguing, transporting best . . . [A] humorous, anecdotally rich dive into numerous mathematical theories

    Kirkus

  • Unreasonably entertaining… reveals how geometric thinking can allow for everything from fairer American elections to better pandemic planning

    New York Times

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