The Cartoon Guide to Geometry

A comprehensive new illustrated guide to geometry—from New York Times bestselling cartoonist Larry Gonick

What’s the point of points Where do we draw the line If there are two sides to everything, then what’s up with triangles, squares, and polygons

Once again, mathematician-turned-cartoonist Larry Gonick uses his unique gift for witty, lively, and clear exposition to demystify another complex subject: geometry.

Moving from the most basic geometrical concepts—planes, lines, and points—through elementary postulates and to elaborate proofs, The Cartoon Guide to Geometry is a comprehensive primer on all the essentials of plane geometry: angles, triangles, area, similarity, and, yes, the Pythagorean theorem. Carefully tailored to the curriculum standards and standardized testing guidelines of the subject, the book provides innovative visuals that develop proofs and constructions with sequential graphics rather than single illustrations. The reader emerges with a deep grasp of key ideas—and has fun getting there.

Author Biography

Larry Gonick has been creating comics that explain history, science, and other big subjects for more than forty years. He wrote his first guide, Blood from a Stone: A Cartoon Guide to Tax Reform, in 1977. He has been a calculus instructor at Harvard (where he earned his BA and MA in mathematics) and a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT, and he is staff cartoonist for Muse magazine.