What made The Sopranos finale one of the most talked about events in television history?

Why is Sudoku so addictive and the iPhone so darn irresistible?

What do Jackson Pollack and Lance Armstrong have in common with theoretical physicists and Buddhist monks?

Elegance.

In this thought-provoking exploration of why certain events, products, and people capture our imaginations, and loyalty, Matthew May defines elegance as the elusive combination of unusual simplicity and surprising power, and pinpoints the four key elements that characterize it—seduction, subtraction, symmetry, and sustainability. In a story-driven narrative that sheds light on the need for elegance in design, engineering, physics, art, urban planning, sports, work, May offers a surprising array of stories that illustrate why what’s “not there” often matters more than what is.

In the bestselling tradition of The Tipping Point, Made to Stick, and The Black Swan, IN PURSUIT OF ELEGANCE will change the way you think about the world.

May delivers a fresh, compulsively readable narrative of the elusive element behind so many innovative breakthroughs, in fields ranging from physics and marketing to design and popular culture.

MATTHEW E. MAY is the author of the critically acclaimed The Elegant Solution A popular speaker, he lectures to corporations, governments, and universities around the world on ingenuity and innovation. He spent nearly a decade advising Toyota, and his articles and profiles have appeared in USA TODAY, Strategy & Business, The Wall Street Journal, and on CNN and National Public Radio. A graduate of The Wharton School of Business, he lives in Lake Sherwood, California.