With his ability to make abstract ideas concrete and approachable, Berlinski tells an engrossing tale and introduces us to one of the greatest of all human endeavours.

Geometry defines the world around us, helping us make sense of everything from architecture to military science to fashion. Euclid's Elements is arguably the most influential book in the history of mathematics. Berlinski provides a concise homage to this elusive mathematician and his staggering achievements, and shows that, for centuries, scientists and thinkers have relied on Euclid's axiomatic system, a method of proof still taught in classrooms around the world.