Make: Geometry

Book excerpt: Geometry, of all the branches of mathematics, is the one that is most easily visualized by making something. However, it is all too easy to reduce it to reams of formulas to memorize and proofs to replicate. This book aims to take geometry back to its practical roots with 3D printed models and puzzles as well as demonstrations with household objects like flashlights and paper towel tubes. This is not a traditional geometry textbook, but rather builds up understanding of geometry concepts encountered primarily in middle school while also bringing in elements of concepts normally learned much later. Some of the models are counterintuitive, and figuring out how and why they work will both entertain and give insights. Two final chapters suggesting open-ended projects in astronomy and physics, and art and architecture, allow for deeper understanding and integration of the learning in the rest of the book.