The Book of Wonders: How Euclid’s Elements Built the World

‘An astonishingly readable and informative history of the greatest mathematical bestseller of all time … The writing is vivid and the stories are gripping. Highly recommended ’ IAN STEWART, AUTHOR OF SIGNIFICANT FIGURES Euclid’s Elements of Geometry was a book that changed the world. In this sweeping history, Benjamin Wardhaugh traces how the ancient Greek text on mathematics – often hailed as the world’s first textbook – shaped two thousand years of art, philosophy and literature, as well as science and maths. With stories of influence on every continent, and encounters with the likes of Ptolemy and Isaac Newton, Hobbes and Lewis Carroll, Wardhaugh gives dramatic life to the evolution of mathematics. Previously published as The Book of Wonders The Book of Wonders, by Benjamin Wardhaugh, is a top pick for those interested in the civilisation of ancient Greece and the evolution of education. Its teaching extends beyond the study of algebraic concepts, making it a must-read for all. For fans of David Spiegelhalter (The Art of Uncertainty), Cat Bohannon (Eve), Rory Stewart (The Marches), Anne Applebaum (Autocracy, Inc), and Peter Frankopan (The New Silk Roads).