The ideas of Misha Gromov have illuminated great swathes of mathematics with the bright light of geometry. By means of example, I hope to convey some sense of the wonder that his work engenders and something of the profound influence he has had on the way my generation thinks about mathematics. I shall focus particularly on Geometric Group Theory. Gromov's ideas turned the study of discrete groups on its head, infusing it with an array of revolutionary ideas and unveiling deep connections to many other branches of mathematics.
This talk will be based on the Abel Lecture that I gave in Oslo in May 2009 when Gromov received the Abel Prize.