Rating: 
Summary: A Cure for Insomnia
Review: This book was kind of a waste of time for me. I really did not care one way or the other about it. A book I hate will keep me talking for weeks... I might have hated it, but at least it made a difference. But this book practically wasn't there. It made NO impression on me, and just wasted an afternoon. One bright, sunny, Sunday afternoon that I can never get back. A Sunday afternoon that could have been spent mowing the lawn or doing the dishes.I understand that many people love this book, and that it has been influential in turning people on to mathematics, philosophy, logic, etc. But I really can't say it triggered ANY ideas in my head. Thought-provoking? Heck no. Yawn provoking? Sure thing. This book is not inspirational. It is a sleep aid, much better than any other I have tried.
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent edition of a classic - extended
Review: If you are not familiar with Edwin Abbott's "Flatland", this is the edition to buy. If you are familiar with it (but presumably do not yet own it), this is still the edition to buy. You've heard the classic criticism of a story is that it is "two dimensional". Well, Edwin Abbott's tale of an imaginary two-dimensional land adds a whole new twist to that phrase. Flatland, as he describes it, is about as rich as a two-dimensional story can be. And it is marvelously extended by its narrator's encounters with the unknown - the world of 3 dimensions. The challenges that narrator faces as he encounters the incomprehensible, quite closely mirror mine whenever I attempt to think about a 4th (or 5th or 7th) dimension. If you've faced the same struggle, you will be delighted by this book. If you've ever wondered what a 4th dimension would look like, Flatland provides a lens through which you can imagine that extension of our 3D world. From here you can go on to read Rudy Rucker or Pickover or Hawkins - but this is the place to start your exploration of dimensions beyond experience. Abbot accomplishes this by describing the eye-opening extension of his narrator's 2D world when visited by a 3D apparition, a "sphere". His framing of the foundational issues through the experiences of what you'd expect to be the least interesting character in fiction are really quite engaging. The storyline, however sparse, is as interesting as the mathematics - albeit quite nineteenth-century'ish in tone. Don't misconstrue Abbott's seemingly misogynist portrayal of women and of his class-stratified society. This element was intended to provide a third layer of sharp, Swiftian satire and critical commentary on the rigid social mores of his era. Abbot succeeds in this (but I, nevertheless, decided not to read it aloud to my 6th grade classes - worrying that they might not be attuned to this subtlety of tone.) Be forewarned. The neat twist of this edition, the inclusion of Dionys Burger's 1983 "Sphereland", as an upside-down "second book", is quite a nice touch. Although I did not find Burger's stylings quite as engaging as those of Abbott, his extension of the mathematical ideas into non-Euclidian spaces is a nice introduction to that idea for non-mathematicians. Since it was intended as a standalone book, "Sphereland" commences with a detailed review of the "Flatland" story. This can be skipped without loss but is not a substitute for reading the original "Flatland", here, first. Flatland is a timeless classic; a great book for the mathematician and non-mathematician alike.
Rating:
Summary: classic
Review: This is also available in a Dover Thrift edition, but you can never go wrong with these little pocket books. This puts one in a geometric frame of mind that will make more advanced works on this subject, such as those by Hinton or Ouspensky, more accessible to those without either the visulazation or mathematical abilty to go straight to the deeper stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Flatland
Review: A brilliant book even for today's science although it was written over 100 years ago. I suggest everyone to read it. A wonderful blend of math, SCI-FI and fiction. The book marvelously touches on the subject of how ignorant we humans are and yet consider ourselves the highest beings on the universe. I only wish it had more pages.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Book, However Just a Little Confusing
Review: I was required to read Flatland for a geometry class in high school. It's a great book; it's very detailed and in-depth. However, it uses turn-of-the-century language, which to a Freshman in high school, is confusing. That kept me from giving it 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Stretch your mind to new dimensions. . .
Review: Flatland is subtitled "A Romance of Many Dimensions." I wouldn't call this book is "Romantic" in either the original or the modern sense of the term, but it certainly does include many dimensions. . . And much more. With this one little book at the centre, one can discuss a wide array of topics: literature (late 19th century British satire), history (relate the satire to Victorian society), mathematics (beyond what you get from your typical proof-laden geometry class), physics (String Theory fits nicely), art (the influence of such mathematics on artists such as Dali and Escher), theology (pythian theology: God as The Being of Infinite Dimensions), and even a little climatology (how does it rain in a two-dimensional world?). The first part of Flatland is an extensive description of life in a two-dimensional society. This is where most satirical elements can be found, but you don't have to know about British Victorian-era society to benefit by learning to view physical reality more perceptively. How often would you ordinarily stop to consider what the social interactions and the houses and the weather and the class structure and so forth of a two-dimensional world might be? In addition to gaining a new appreciation for planar geometry, you will learn how very fortunate you are to have the extra dimension--but what if someone other entity is thinking the same about. . . In the second part of Flatland, things really get spicy from the mathematical/physical/philosophical perspective. If you thought the preceding material was mind-expanding, just wait until A. Square travels to Sphereland, Lineland, and (my favorite) Pointland. This engages your brain in a way that no ordinary, prosaic math book can. Everything is explained in a manner that is easily understandable--but at the same time impossible to comprehend. You'll know what I mean when you try to apply the transition from Pointland to Lineland to Flatland to Sphereland to a like voyage to a fourth spatial dimension, and it seems like you should be able to do so, but you can never quite visualize the next dimension. You simply CANNOT. But, oh, what a savory intellectual treat it is to try! Flatland does not have a plot--at least not until the very end, which is the book's most enduring satirical moment. How sad that this is based in reality. (It is also much like something one might read in. . .dare I say. . .a dystopia.) If you really want an intellectual trip, contemplate temporal dimensions in a like manner. Yummy. . . . . . but Abbott poses an even greater enigma: why is it that Flatland residents with the most acute angles are the most mentally obtuse (and vice versa)?? ~pythia~
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Imagination
Review: First of all, the book does appear sexist by today's standards. However, if you're big enough to get by that you will find an absolutely fascinating science fiction story that is elegant in both its creativity and its simplicity. But be warned: this book is thought provoking and not for people that simply want to be entertained.
Rating:
Summary: a thought provoking to higher dimensions
Review: Many topics in modern physics and astronomy involve thinking of the universe in more than our customary three dimensions. Super-string theories, for instance, suggest as many as ten dimensions in our universe. Yet the general public is completely unfamiliar with this mode of thinking. Flatland and Sphereland are both stories with the perfect blend of simplicity and sophistication. Their simple, precise language is easy enough for even the casual reader to follow, yet the concepts presented are advanced enough that even experts in the field will be churning it around in their minds for days after. When I ordered these books, I expected an entertaining story that, while intriguing, would contribute little to my education in the long run. What I found, beneath the delightful tale, was a depth of concept that has changed my thinking.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Concept Book
Review: Well by the time you read this book you probably know all about it. Almost all books about multiple dimensional spaces refer to this book and when you find it less than a dollar you want to read it. It is interesting that somebody wrote a popular science book hundered years ago regarding how life concepts would show itself in one two or more dimensional spaces and author creates his own concepts and solutions to problems. Well you do not learn anything new that you did not know but it is a classic book.
Rating:
Summary: Fiction about mathematics and dimension--lots of fun
Review: Here is a book on the principles of dimension in mathematics that is fun to read, but explains the principles so well. Flatland is a classic dating back to 1880, but reads like a delightful fairy tale. It thoroughly explains the concepts of lines, planes and the limitations of our dimensions in space. There is some amusing stuff here; the author is apparently a misogynist --women in Flatland are needle-thin, (well, that's not all bad) stupid, because of the size of their pointy heads (hey!) and violently dangerous due to their shape and lack of higher reasoning power. Despite poking fun at females, this book is amusing and valuable since it can teach some great math prinicples. There is a "sequel" Sphereland published in the 20th century by a different author, that goes into dimensions higher than 3. It's fun, too. As an explanantion of the concept of dimension, plus for imagination, Flatland is a real classic and a favorite of mine.
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