AsweepingculturalhistoryofoneofthemostinfluentialmathematicalbookseverwrittenEuclid’sElementsofGeometryisoneofthefountainheadsofmathematics--andofculture.Writtenaround300BCE,ithastraveledwidelyacrossthecenturies,generatingcountlessnewideasandinspiringsuchfiguresasIsaacNewton,BertrandRussell,AbrahamLincoln,andAlbertEinstein.EncounterswithEuclidtellsthestoryofthisincomparablemathematicalmasterpiece,takingreadersfromitsoriginsintheancientworldtoitscontinuinginfluencetoday.Inthislivelyandinformativebook,BenjaminWardhaughexplainshowEuclid’stextjourneyedfromantiquitytotheRenaissance,introducingsomeofthemanyreaders,copyists,andeditorswholefttheirmarkontheElementsbeforehandingiton.Heshowshowsomereadthebookasaworkofphilosophy,whileothersvieweditasapracticalguidetolife.HeexaminesthemanydifferentcontextsinwhichEuclid’sbookandhisgeometrywereputtouse,fromtheNeoplatonicschoolatAthensandtheartisans’studiosofmedievalBaghdadtotheJesuitmissioninChinaandtheworkshopsofRestorationLondon.WardhaughshowshowtheElementsinspiredideasintheology,art,andmusic,andhowthebookhasacquirednewrelevancetothestrangegeometriesofdarkmatterandcurvedspace.EncounterswithEuclidtracesthelifeandafterlivesofoneofthemostremarkableworksofmathematicseverwritten,revealingitslastingroleinthetimelesssearchfororderandreasoninanunrulyworld.
