Proof!: How the World Became Geometrical

A "lucid and convincingly argued" narrative of how ancient geometric principles continue to shape the contemporary world (Publishers Weekly).

On a cloudy day in 1413, a balding young man stood at the entrance to the Cathedral of Florence, facing the ancient Baptistery across the piazza. As puzzled passers-by looked on, he raised a small painting to his face, then held a mirror in front of the painting. Few at the time understood what he was up to; even he barely had an inkling of what wa...