String, Straightedge and Shadow - The Story of Geometry

by Julia E. Diggins, Corydon Bell (Illustrator)

Back in print after 34 years, this book recreates the atmosphere of ancient times. Using only three simple tools--the string, the straightedge and the shadow--men discovered the basic principles and constructions of elementary geometry more than 2,000 years ago. This engrossing book reveals how these discoveies were made and shows how theywere related to the early civilizatins of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece. You will be fascinated with the graphic illustrations and written depiction of how the knowledge and wisdome of so many cultures helped shape our civilization today.

Genres: Mathematics, History, Nonfiction, Science, Education, School, Geometry

155 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Julia E. Diggins, who taught mathematics for many years in Washington, D.C., completed her under-graduate work in mathematics at Trinity College in Washington, and then attended the Catholic University of America, where she received an M.A. in psychology.

While teaching mathematics in junior high school, she was awarded grants by the National Science Foundation to attend courses at Rutgers University, Boston College, and the University of Maryland, where she worked with members of the Maryland University Mathematics Project on the preparation of a new curriculum. Subsequently she began to devote herself entirely to teaching "modern" mathematics for elementary school teachers at the University of Maryland.

Julia Diggins died in 1987.

Reviews

[Bibliobites Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this during Morning Time with my homeschoolers, aged 8-14. I maybe got more out of it than my scholars but it was still a worthwhile read. It also helped reinforce some of what my teens are learning in pre-algebra this year.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant understandable survey of the development of geometry, ending with Euclid's Elements. Illustrations and diagrams are plentiful and make the descriptions clear.

Would love to see a series of videos demonstrating the experiments and proofs, using the traditional tools of the title.

[Kelly Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Thales to Euclid, this book gives a historic view of geometry’s development through the Greek world. This book is a great introductory book of the study of geometry.

[LaRae☕️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was read to prepare for a colloquium with our scholars this morning. It was rather interesting and shockingly dull, simultaneously.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This prompted many questions from my children--and many connections to other things we'd studied (not just in math, but in history, architecture and more).

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended for 12-15yo (but also extremely fun for adults)
This is a dry read at first, but stick with it! Delve in and see if you can solve the problems before they’re revealed to you. Experience alongside the great mathematical/scientific minds in history how it was to discover such knowledge! See if you can recreate the problems and solutions on your own. Math will come alive in your mind and hands, and you will start to see how exciting math, the language of science, truly is.

Using some of the examples found within this book, I created a “GeOlympics” event for my kids. They had to use shadows to see how tall our house is (like Thales used to find the height of a pyramid), they had to use the principle of 3-4-5 to make perfect right angles using knotted rope to evenly divide our land, they had to configure their own level for making irrigation ditches, they had to draw perfect circles using a pole and rope, they had to demonstrate the proof for the Pythagorean Theorem, and finally they had to draw a perfect pentagram (requires several mathematical steps using straight edge and compass (a requirement for anyone admitted into Pythagoras’ exclusive group). They said the GeOlympics was their favorite activity. I made them pentagon medals with Olympic ribbon to hang around their necks. We had a lot of fun.

[Anne Cordelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing stories about the history of geometry that really helped me to appreciate what I have taken for granted about shapes and measurement. It flowed well and was engaging. It illustrated the relationship between geometry, nature and art. A dusty school subject came alive in stories and connections. My only complaint would be that I felt lost with a lot of the explanations of how the actual geometry worked.

Best quotes:

"The secret of beauty is order." Page 13

"It was from this inner sense - our sensitivity to the order and harmony of the universe - that geometry really began." Page 14

"Used geometry in two great ways: in TECHNIQUES to make life easier, and in ART, to make it more pleasant." Page 20

"The Egyptians and Babylonians had discovered a new way of DOING things. The Greeks found a new way of THINKING about them." Page 57

"He had pursued knowledge for its own sake, loving wisdom for itself. He knew learning could be shared without finishing, that it lasts through life and immortalized the learned after death." Page 113

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

An accessible history of ancient geometry, aimed at older elementary or junior high students. The premise of the book--that all early geometry is based upon the three titular objects--necessarily keeps the text simple to follow. The sections on the Greeks, supplemented with clear diagrams and simply explained proofs of basic geometric theorems, are fascinating. Sections on earlier "prehistoric" and even Egyptian geometry are less so both because they lack detailed content and because they repeatedly assume a sort of slow dull-witedness for these forerunners of theoretical geometry. To achieve a more narrative style, the author greatly embellishes the known facts of the geometricians' lives, but conspicuously makes such diversions clear. The thorough index would also make this an excellent reference book.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I got made fun of reading this book during a family camping trip, but hey, I can't help it, I LOVE math! :) The caveman stuff was pretty lame, but I loved reading about the history of why we now have geometry.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Textbook for school--it counts!

This book was just sort of confusing for me. It would take complicated discoveries and explain them as if the reader should already know exactly everything about them. Then say " Do you see how simple this is?", which I found beyond aggitating (it really wasn't very "simple" at all). When she said things like this it also made me feel as if she was undermining all the hard work it took to figure this out... it's not that easy to do, you know!
Another point, she would often state things as though we "absolutly know" how this happened, and we don't. For crying out loud, we can't even be completely sure all of those guys actually existed!
But even through all this, I will admit I learned some things-- even if I'm not entirely certain when I'll use them.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. The content often relies on the idea that we don't know how it would have happened, but maybe... it's then told in storm form. My kids and I found it intriguing.
It was interesting to be challenged to solve the ancient geometers' proofs - something that I never did in high school geometry. But their proof explanations were not sufficient for me. Extra diagrams would have been helpful or more detailed descriptions. Even so, we frequently utilized YouTube for further explanations and even did several hands-on supplemental projects .

This was at level, mostly, for my 7th grader who is beginning to work with shapes, angles, etc. By 4th grader gleaned the historical, story side of these Mathematicians, which in my opinion is vital to laying a good foundation for further math exploration. We'll definitely go through the book again when he's older.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for teaching the ideas of geometry and why it is practical to our lives. You will learn the highlighted history of the ancients who contributed to the unfolding of geometric principles, beginning with Thales and ending with Euclid. Some poetic license is given for the recreation of conversations that could have happened. It would be a great way to introduce geometry or to assist in clarifying principles if you have a confused geometry student, or just for fun if you enjoy math!

[Andrea Renfrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book (roughly a chapter a day during Morning Basket) to re-inspire my Geometry student. In the future I will use it to introduce Geometry at the middle school level. Most the leading "characters" are ones we read picture book biographies of in elementary so it would make a smooth transition into the math at 5th/6th grade. Although, I think it was a lovely brain break for my 8th/9th grader.

[Tiff Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dain and I give it 4.5 stars, for making geometry interesting to us, but a little off because some explanations were a bit confusing, and we had to reread some passages. We enjoyed the historical fiction element in illustrating how the ancients discovered and applied geometry, and how it laid the foundation for nearly all scientific thought. It was truly fascinating!

[American Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good, and I'm glad we read it. It starts off very slowly, but I'm glad we pushed through it as it gives a good foundation for geometry. 6th grade is the perfect age to read it. I would read it before Archimedes and the Door of Science. That book is better and chronologically comes after this book.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book! It was such a different perspective on geometry. I wish I knew it when I was learning geometry. There were lots of things to try and see if you could do the geometry. Definitely recommend as a great math book.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really interesting! My kids enjoyed listening to it. Some of the geometry/math examples were hard to follow, but my kids aren't in geometry yet so that was OK with us. Overall, we really enjoyed this book.

[Kiley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this with my 15 yr old for school. It was interesting to see the progression of geometry in the ancient world. Though the personal stories of the various mathematicians were fun, at times it felt like the lines of fact and fiction were blurred too much.

[Becky Carlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This summarizes well the story of cultures who gave birth to the most advanced mathematical ideas. Four instead of five stars because of the presumption of evolution that presents the oldest man as stupid and primitive.

[Caleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have rated it 3 and a half stars, I read it a while ago and it was super confusing, but it was more clear this time.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

really good story, but terrible writing style

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was good

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a math person and I very much enjoyed this storybook telling of the discoveries of geometry.

[Brianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for those interested in math and science. A little tedious for those who aren't, but even still has some fascinating info even if math/ science isn't "your thing".

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Making the history of geometry understandable. I enjoyed it!

[Renee Haug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this with my daughter as part of her 8th grade curriculum. We learned from it but didn't enjoy it. It's not a book we are likely to keep on our shelves.

[Jenelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, not my favorite book we've read for school. Had some neat moments, but for the most part was way more boring than what I've come to expect from Sonlight.

[Ayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this book, I've never appreciated geometry more.

[Chappyfamily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating but makes me feel very stupid because I know so little geometry that I wasn’t able to understand it all.

[Evelyn Saenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

String, Straightedge and Shadow - The Story of Geometry by Julia E. Diggins is one of the books we are reading in order to learn high school geometry. The conversational style and clear illustrations as well as the historical background help to make geometry come alive. We are using it in conjunction with Patty Paper Geometryby Michael Serraand an online site, Learning Math: Geometry, an online, interactive Geometry Course. We have found many videos on YouTube to reinforce the new vocabulary terms that we are using. Finally, we do the chapter tests in a high school textbook to assure ourselves that we have thoroughly learned the subject before moving on.

This combination of hands-on learning resources makes learning geometry so much fun that we look forward to it each day.