The Annotated Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions (ISBN 0738205419)

Amazon.com Review:
The product of an agreeably dotty cleric named Edwin Abbott Abbott and first published in 1884, Flatland distills all that the Victorian era knew of higher mathematics--and then some--into a witty, complex novel of ideas. Ian Stewart, the author of the equally witty sequel, Flatterland--which adds to Abbott's store of science the key discoveries made since--does a superb job of explaining the original book's enigmas, allusions, ironies, implausibilities, and what Douglas Hofstadter would call "metamagical themas." Among other things, Stewart comments on Abbott's comments on such things as the nature/nurture controversy, the fourth dimension and beyond, the role of multidimensional spaces in economic systems, infinite series and perfect squares, celestial mechanics, and other matters close to the hearts of cosmologists and science buffs alike. Stewart's notes make an entertaining and learned addition to an already classic bit of writing--one that has never been out of print since its first publication. For both devoted Abbott fans and newcomers to his work, this is the edition to have. --Gregory McNamee

Combines math with magic and fun!:
With the Alice in Wonderland books, the late 1800s seem to have been the time for really creative mathemetical writing. Although not as frequently read, Flatland, the Edwin Abbott Abbott story of a little square coming to understanding that higher dimensions do indeed exist outside his world is a delightful read. For those seeking to understand what life is like in other dimensions, Flatland is very comprehensible with clear writing and simple, easy to understand illustrations that help drive home Abbott's points. Originally written with many sly references to the then existing state of British culture, Abbott's invitation to try and understand higher dimensions was also an invitation to society of his time to try to re think its views on a myriad of issues...including its openness to women in education. In this way, Abbott converted viewing higher dimensions into both a mathematical and social challenge...points Stewart was sensitive to in his annotations and his own homage, Flatterland. Although other editions of this work exist, the annotated Flatland is the one to buy both because of its faithful reproduction of the original and its thought provoking and helpful footnotes that give the work broader meaning.

Mathematics fun:
A wonderful little fantasy tale that explains mathematical concepts of dimensions from the point of view of a 2-dimensional world. It is a fun way to introduce others (notably children) to the wonder of mathematics and the joy of discovery.

The Taliban treat women better than this man:
If you want to make a young budding girl scientist feel really bad about herself and teach her not to trust men who teach math, this is the perfect book. This author describes women as one-dimensional. The Taliban treated women horrendously but they didn't kick them out of the human race. Flatland basically kicks women out of the human race. This is NOT GIRL FRIENDLY. If you give this to a girl who likes math, there's a good chance she could decide she hates math after reading this.

For over a hundred years Edwin Abbott's ANNOTATED FLATLAND has attracted readers interested in both math and satire:
For over a hundred years Edwin Abbott's ANNOTATED FLATLAND has attracted readers interested in both math and satires on Victorian society. This annotated version introduces readers to Flatland, where men are polygons and females are lines, and adds commentary connecting the original text with history, science and culture. The annotated version makes for a contemporary survey that science and general-interest collections alike will find compelling. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

Flatlandia. Great book!:
I happened to come across this book on my father's book shelf, when I was sick and had to miss school, long time ago. Fascinating book! It has opened me a door to the world that I have been too familiar with, but had never visited before. And now I would like my kids to have the same wonderful experience of going through the Flatland. However it was not easy to find it again - I forgot the name of the book, as well as the name of the author. In addition, when I read it first it was in russian translation. But here it is - Flatland, Flatlandia. Hooray!!!