Product Description: Classic of science (and mathematical) fiction—charmingly illustrated by author—describes the journeys of A. Square, a resident of Flatland, and his adventures in Spaceland (three dimensions), Lineland (one dimension) and Pointland (no dimensions). A Square also entertains thoughts of visiting a land of four dimensions—a revolutionary idea for which he is banished from Spaceland.
Amazon.com Review: Unless you're a mathematician, the chances of you reading any novels about geometry are probably slender. But if you read only two in your life, these are the ones. Taken together, they form a couple of accessible and charming explanations of geometry and physics for the curious non-mathematician. Flatland, which is also available under separate cover, was published in 1880 and imagines a two-dimensional world inhabited by sentient geometric shapes who think their planar world is all there is. But one Flatlander, a Square, discovers the existence of a third dimension and the limits of his world's assumptions about reality and comes to understand the confusing problem of higher dimensions. The book is also quite a funny satire on society and class distinctions of Victorian England. The further mathematical fantasy, Sphereland, published 60 years later, revisits the world of Flatland in time to explore the mind-bending theories created by Albert Einstein, whose work so completely altered the scientific understanding of space, time, and matter. Among Einstein's many challenges to common sense were the ideas of curved space, an expanding universe and the fact that light does not travel in a straight line. Without use of the mathematical formulae that bar most non-scientists from an understanding of Einstein's theories, Sphereland gives lay readers ways to start comprehending these confusing but fundamental questions of our reality.
Written for all Flatlanders...like us This book is a must have for all bonafide Flatlands fans.
First off, it has the original Flatlands classic by Edwin Abbott Abbott, the mathematician/clergyman would first took us to the world of A Square. And it also has the 1967 followup Sphereland.
It bears noting that Sphereland is but one of many follow up so Abbott's classic and because they're all good and worthy in their own right, I'll repeat them here:
Spaceland...the Rudy Rucker classic which focuses more on following up the story than the science of Abbott's original book;
Plainiverse...the Dewdney work which actually endeavors to thoroughly flesh out the physics and biological issues of what life actually would be like in 2D (for what it's worth philosopher Dan Dennett says that this is favorite take on the Flatlands theme); and
Flatland Annotated and Flatterlands...both by mathematician Ian Stewart. If I wasn't as a big of a fan of this book I probably admittedly would've stopped my collection at just these entries because the annotated version has the original Flatland in it and also because in my opinion at least Flatterlands does the best and most recent job of updating the mathematics of Flatland.
But that being said, Sphereland is a serviceable entry and does faithfully follow the A Square story...albeit two generations later...and like the original Flatland serves as a great metaphor for the desireability of open mindedness and looking past your limitations.
Flatland If you are looking for a book that makes you think this is the one. Written in 1867, its amazing that we are still having the problems that are embellished in this lovely book. This book helped me remember I need to be more empathic to others when they are limited in thier perception. And for me to never stop dreaming.
Absolutely worth it The first contact I ever had with this book was in fourth grade when my teacher read a couple of passages as a lead-in to geometry. That being said, I need to tell you that I hated my freshman geometry course. My teacher didn't speak English; there were all these formulas, theorems, and postulates that we had to memorize; and we spent all our time doing useless proofs. But this is getting into my high school career, and away from a review of this book. Even though I didn't enjoy geometry, I found this book fascinating. Don't be deceived by the subtitle; it's not a love story. Abbott uses the word "romance" in the sense of "epic." I guarantee that you will stop at least once while you're reading this book to try to wrap your mind around what the fourth dimension must look like. The only criticisms I have are about the misogyny and the pacing. In Flatland, women are treated as second-class citizens, but this is not a major theme. A few times, particularly during A Square's conversation with the King of Lineland, I got bored. But overall the book was paced well, and I'm impressed that the 19TH century churned-out any book less than two hundred pages.
Excellent book! Incredibly easy and direct way to give a new perspective into a 1D, 2D and 3D "space"!
Flatland is written in 1800's English, so it might be a little bit tricky to get it straight, if you aren't a native English speaker. Sphereland is straight forward!!
Highly recommended!
A 2D and 4D Classic Text Originally written with a Victorian theme, it is now a must-read classic for anyone who enjoys reading about the fourth dimension. The story is about a two-dimensional being (called A Square) living in a two-dimensional world (hence the title, Flatland). As a three-dimensional being imagining this two-dimensional world, you come to realize that you can understand higher-dimensional space through lower-dimensional analogies. In fact, A Square meets a three-dimensional being (A Sphere), and takes a journey beyond the second dimension. Although some readers may enjoy the book for its historical and Victorian period merits, math lovers can enjoy the book for its geometric insight.
If you are curious about the fourth dimension, you should also read:
- Spaceland: A Novel of the Fourth Dimension, Rudy Rucker's novel of the fourth dimension - Flatterland: Like Flatland, Only More So, a continuation of the geometric idea from Flatland - The 4th Dimension: Toward a Geometry of Higher Reality, Rudy Rucker's classic introduction to the fourth dimension - The Visual Guide to Extra Dimensions: Volume 1: Visualizing the Fourth Dimension, Higher-Dimensional Polytopes, and Curved Hypersurfaces, a modern geometric introduction to the fourth dimension
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