Good books (which is subjective, of course) are inspiring, thought-provoking, entertaining…, they are also an invitation to encounter similarly beautiful things elsewhere, to acquire new knowledge, and to read other books.
Two of the first nonfiction books I ever read in English were Cosmos and The Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan. I was certainly inspired and also invited to read another very beautiful book: Flatland (1904) by Edwin A. Abbott.
This tiny book is a masterpiece of mathematical and geometrical adventure; it is also a social satire and a romance. What more can you ask for in a book?
I first read the book many years ago, but it made such a strong impression on me that I keep coming back to it. Some time ago, I did a series of presentations on high-dimensional tensors and vectorization, each of which began with a picture of the original cover of the book.
A book ahead of its time that remains incredibly relevant and always a great read.
