Novel and astonishing, Taimina (mathematics, Cornell U.) crochets models of hyperbolic planes. This beautifully illustrated volume explains how to teachers, mathematicians, and the interested reader. Along the way, she relates the history of geometry through different concepts like art, patterns, and buildings, and explains positive and negative curvatures and hyperbolic geometry, and the geometry of these planes through crocheted examples. She includes the history of crochet, non- Euclidean geometry, different geometric shapes, and the uses of hyperbolic geometry in a variety of fields. Her colorful works illustrate the volume, photographed in natural backgrounds, and drawings are also provided throughout. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)