The Annotated Flatland

The purpose of this novel is two-fold: to introduce the casual reader into the concepts of multi-dimensional spaces (i.e. what will become the concept of four dimensional space-time) and to provide social commentary on Victorian society. I cannot comment much on what he achieves in terms of opening the eyes of the Victorian reader to the ills of that society; however, I find his ability to illuminate the concepts of dimensionality extra-ordinary. As a math and physics teacher, I am always looking for ways to open my students' minds to visualizing what they are doing. Even after well over 100 years, few people have approached Abbott's clarity in helping people visualize the difference between different dimensions. One of the best examples: a square only "looks" like a square to someone who can see in three dimensions. A square itself, trapped in a plane, would see another square (or, indeed, any figure) only as a line. This leads to intriguing thoughts on what creatures who live in higher dimensions than our own see as they look at us.

Of course, the story of Flatland alone is wonderful but Stewart's annotation and commentary take the book to another level. On nearly every page, Stewart offers insight and background into the text. Unable to resist the pun: he added another dimension to the book. Having read Flatland many years ago and enjoyed it, I felt I understood the book much better this time around with Stewart's help. Anyone with an interest in math and physics should not pass up the opportunity to read this edition of Flatland.


An Excellent Classic   May 22, 2002
 26 out of 31 found this review helpful

Contrary to this silly form I am actully 14. I am an eighth grader and I read this for my Algebra 1 class. I fell in love with it instanly. The themes, ideas, and satires all intertwined create one of the best books ever written. The paralle of the unique twist between Euclidian and Non-Euclidian and the satire of Victorian England are wonderful. This book makes you both laugh-out-loud and cry, but most of all it makes you think. Edwin Abbot Abbot was not only a mathamatican but also a brillent liggest. His pros style makes the book all the better... BUY THIS BRILLENT BOOK


Flatland is boring   April 9, 2002
 10 out of 95 found this review helpful

Flatland is for advanced students -seniors and up- who are participating in a physchological study class. This book warps your thinking about the geometric rules. Unfortunately, it is written in such a way that even if you are a very concentrated reader, you cannot read a paragraph withouth being distracted. The diction in this story is made to be boring. A teacher assigned freshmen students-in high school- to read this and everyone complained because it literally takes and hour to get through a couple of pages. You must also reread the text to find some sort of meaning. This book is not meant for anyone under 18 and is certainly not enjoyable for leisurely purposes.


a brilliant annotated version of this math geek classic   March 31, 2002
 59 out of 59 found this review helpful

I first read Flatland as an undergraduate mathematics major. It was an epiphany. With spectacularly clear words and explanations Abbott related, in a first person narrative, the thoughts and experiences of A. Square as he explained his own two-dimensional world and explored others of varying dimension. After reading it, I looked at the world in a new way. It was one of the first books I ever wrote in; I was so excited with thought that I underlined, punctuated, and jotted ideas down in the margins -- breaking a lifelong habit of respecting books by treating them like sacred objects. I was grateful to Abbott for his ideas and his lucidity. Breaching biology and time, he had awakened in me a new appreciation of the aesthetics of science and mathematics. Now, here comes Ian Stewart to make this wonderful book even more interesting!

This book is a pleasure in so many ways. The quality of the paper and typesetting are exceptional, the layout is clear, the annotator is a talented writer, and the volume is generously augmented with photo reproductions and line drawings. Stewart's text is just wonderful. While the preface begins with a question: "What is Flatland and why should it be annotated?" and continues with Professor Stewart's reasoning and motivation in tackling this subject, the introduction focuses on Flatland's author, Edwin Abbott Abbott. Stewart is a fine writer and I learned a lot in both sections. But that is just an appetizer. Stewart states in the preface that his intellectual pursuit of all things Flatland led him down many paths and, taking his cue from long-time interesting thinker Martin Gardner, he lets the information flow. Annotations vary in length, from one paragraph to several pages, and cover a magnificent range of subjects, each made entertaining, informative and relevant. One would expect, and does find, mathematics explanations, but Stewart also draws intellectual connections between Abbott and his contemporaries, explains historical references and contextualizes Abbott's contributions to scholarly thought.

I learned something on every page, and enjoyed the reading of it. Stewart has produced a volume that can be compared favorably to Gardner's Annotated Alice in Wonderland, for which he expresses admiration. While this scintillating annotated version of Abbott's classic text should prove delightful for those interested in mathematics, physics, or the history of science, it will be irresistibly fascinating for any fan of Flatland.

Well done. Highly recommended.