It was written by chemical engineer John Bryant and mathematics educator Chris Sangwin, and published by the Princeton University Press in 2008.

The book has 13 chapters,[1] whose topics include: The book emphasizes the construction of physical models, and includes many plates of the authors' own models,[3] detailed construction plans, and illustrations.

[5] It only requires a standard background in mathematics including basic geometry, trigonometry, and a small amount of calculus.

[4] Similarly, Ronald Huston recommends it to "mathematicians, engineers, and physicists", as well as interested members of the general public.

[1] Matthew Killeya writes approvingly of the book's intuitive explanations for its calculations and the motivation it adds to the mathematics it applies.