From bestselling author of How Not to Be Wrong and world-class geometer Jordan Ellenberg, a delightful exploration of the power of geometry, which turns out to help us think better about practically everything. For many, geometry is a sterile and dimly remembered exercise left in the dust of ninth grade, along with braces and active romantic interest in pop singers. But the stuff of math textbooks has little to do with the far-reaching implications of modern geometry, which Shape reveals with Ellenberg's trademark humor and expertise (plus Sharpie drawings). Geometry, seen through Ellenberg's eyes, has a joyous magic that's its own reward; but it's also a powerful tool for preventing pandemics, saving democracy, or achieving clarity of thought. Swinging effortlessly from the question of how many holes a straw has, to the pivotal contributions and personal quirks of geometers throughout space and time, to the spooky power of the Markov chain, Ellenberg shows us how geometry not only measures the world, but explains it. Book jacket.