E9: Jordan Ellenberg: Shape & Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else

We sat with Dr. Jordan Ellenberg to discuss his latest book Shape: The Hidden Geometry of Information, Biology, Strategy, Democracy, and Everything Else.

Jordan is the John D. MacArthur Professor of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His writing has appeared in Slate, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and the Believer. His 2014 book How Not To Be Wrong was a New York Times bestseller and was one of Bill Gates’ top five summer books.

Shape is a book about practical aspects of geometry and mathematics written for a general audience. And yes, perhaps the mere word may conjure thoughts of shapes, theorems, and lectures. However, Jordan, masterfully demystifies the fundamentals, making it approachable to a broader audience.

Geometry escapes the boundaries of ...