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Pentagons and Pentagrams: An Illustrated History
A fascinating exploration of the pentagon and its role in various cultures
The pentagon and its close cousin, the pentagram, have inspired individuals for the last two and half millennia, from mathematicians and philosophers to artists and naturalists. Despite the pentagon’s wide-ranging history, no single book has explored the important role of this shape in various cultures, until now. Richly illustrated, Pentagons and Pentagrams offers a sweeping view of the five-sided polygon, revealing its intriguing geometric properties and its essential influence on a variety of fields.
Traversing time, Eli Maor narrates vivid stories, both celebrated and unknown, about the pentagon and pentagram. He discusses the early Pythagoreans, who ascribed to the pentagon mythical attributes, adopted it as their emblem, and figured out its construction with a straightedge and compass. Maor looks at how a San Diego housewife uncovered four previously unknown types of pentagonal tilings, and how in 1982 a scientist’s discovery of fivefold symmetries in certain alloys caused an uproar in crystallography and led to a Nobel Prize. Maor also discusses the pentagon’s impact on many buildings, from medieval fortresses to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Eugen Jost’s superb illustrations provide sumptuous visual context, and the book’s puzzles and mazes offer fun challenges for readers, with solutions given in an appendix.
The pentagon and its close cousin, the pentagram, have inspired individuals for the last two and half millennia, from mathematicians and philosophers to artists and naturalists. Despite the pentagon’s wide-ranging history, no single book has explored the important role of this shape in various cultures, until now. Richly illustrated, Pentagons and Pentagrams offers a sweeping view of the five-sided polygon, revealing its intriguing geometric properties and its essential influence on a variety of fields.
Traversing time, Eli Maor narrates vivid stories, both celebrated and unknown, about the pentagon and pentagram. He discusses the early Pythagoreans, who ascribed to the pentagon mythical attributes, adopted it as their emblem, and figured out its construction with a straightedge and compass. Maor looks at how a San Diego housewife uncovered four previously unknown types of pentagonal tilings, and how in 1982 a scientist’s discovery of fivefold symmetries in certain alloys caused an uproar in crystallography and led to a Nobel Prize. Maor also discusses the pentagon’s impact on many buildings, from medieval fortresses to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Eugen Jost’s superb illustrations provide sumptuous visual context, and the book’s puzzles and mazes offer fun challenges for readers, with solutions given in an appendix.
200 pages, Hardcover
Published September 27, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 24, 2025
The peak of a book meant to encourage interest in maths for general public. Imagine a tireless list of architectural examples of pentagons, three slightly more intensive maths topic, sprinkle the former in between the latters is basically the structure of the book.
It is well-proportioned and tells me just enough to explore on my own without feeling too bored if I know nothing about geometry (most material is from grade 7 geometry/ algebra)
It is well-proportioned and tells me just enough to explore on my own without feeling too bored if I know nothing about geometry (most material is from grade 7 geometry/ algebra)
October 9, 2025
Interesting if you like math, mythology, and history. I have it 3 stars because it vacillates between very readable/accessible and dense mathematical formulas.
If you studied math in college, you shouldn’t have any trouble with this, but otherwise some of the book is too dense.
If you studied math in college, you shouldn’t have any trouble with this, but otherwise some of the book is too dense.
April 6, 2025
Interesting historical book about pentagons through history. Crystals, Romans, Forts, Floors all get a look in. The images are great and the Maths pretty accessible .
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews