Shape
The Hidden Geometry of Absolutely Everything
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Shape
Narrated by:
Jordan Ellenberg
Buy Now for £12.99
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Narrated by:
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Jordan Ellenberg
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By:
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Jordan Ellenberg
About this listen
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
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Critic reviews
This mind-bending book will change how you see the world (Five stars) (Simon Ings)
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 (Matt Parker)
Ellenberg, in both his arguments and his enthusiasm, is persuasive (Michael Prodger)
Serious mathematics at its intriguing, transporting best . . . [A] humorous, anecdotally rich dive into numerous mathematical theories
Unreasonably entertaining... reveals how geometric thinking can allow for everything from fairer American elections to better pandemic planning (Parul Sehgal)
Droopy cheese and the curve of the Earth, the everyday and the cosmic, are beautifully interwoven in the mathematician Jordan Ellenberg's new book Shape (Derek Thompson)
Almost anyone is likely to enjoy Ellenberg's prose, and mind
Otherwise some points of interest definitely, but mixed in with meandering stories. Probably would have been better much shorter.
Audio book with references to diagrams??
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1) I don't think this works in an audio format. The reason I'd listen to an audio book is to give my brain something to do while my hands and eyes do something else. However, this books expects you to look at diagrams constantly - which requires my hands and eyes... It doesn't help that Audible's PDF viewing experience isn't great either (doesn't remember your place, no ability to scroll, etc)
2) The author seems preoccupied with historic context of the people who worked on a problem - rather than the historic context of the problem itself. I don't really care what was the name of the person who introduced Topology to the world and what circumstances they lived in - I care why it is interesting and what problems it helps to solve. The latter has not featured at all so far (even after an intriguing problem posed to the listener has apparently been "solved").
Doesn't work in audio
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