|
Loading... A Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe: Mathematical Archetypes…by Michael S. Schneider
LibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendationsLoading...
won't like
will probably not like
will probably like
will like
will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.  zbrntt | Nov 15, 2008 |  This book is like a biography of the numbers 1 to 10; it's a look at how each of the numbers manifests itself in nature; how culture and mysticism have evolved around and from geometry. It's absolutely wonderful -- so much knowledge presented in such an accessible way. Lots of food for thought, some trivial pursuits, all leading to a greater appreciation for our world. (  ) LynnB | Jun 13, 2008 | This eye halvah for the mind makes a fine and instructive gift for the brightest girl or boy in your family tree -or for most any budding artist, mathematician, or mythologist. They'd doubtless graduate to Pickover's "The Loom of God" eventually. Marvelous and encouraging. kencf0618 | Sep 27, 2005 |  no reviews | add a review
References to this work on external resources.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Book description |
|
The Universe May Be a Mystery,
But It's No Secret
Michael Schneider leads us on a spectacular, lavishly illustrated journey along the numbers one through ten to explore the mathematical principles made visible in flowers, shells, crystals, plants, and the human body, expressed in the symbolic language of folk sayings and fairy tales, myth and religion, art and architecture. This is a new view of mathematics, not the one we learned at school but a comprehensive guide to the patterns that recur through the universe and underlie human affairs. A Beginner's Guide to Constructing, the Universe shows you:
Why cans, pizza, and manhole covers are round.
Why one and two weren't considered numbers by the ancient Greeks.
Why squares show up so often in goddess art and board games.
What property makes the spiral the most widespread shape in nature, from embryos and hair curls to hurricanes and galaxies.
How the human body shares the design of a bean plant and the solar system.
How a snowflake is like Stonehenge, and a beehive like a calendar.
How our ten fingers hold the secrets of both a lobster and a cathedral.
And much more.
(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:20 -0400)
The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details.
Quick Links |
| Ebooks | Audio | Swap |
| — | — | 0/52 |
Wikipedia in English (4)
If you want to read about why manhole covers are round, why two never used to be considered a number, and how to draw a pentagon (among other things), I really recommend this book. It would be a great sourcebook for maths teachers and textbook writers, too. (