The Secret Power of Beauty

This book traces the history of philosophical conceptions of beauty. It compares various theories about why we find certain objects and ideas beautiful, such as the balance between uniformity & variety, the importance of an object's function, mathematical proportions, and the friendship of the parts. He then talks about why beauty is so important to us, and so on. Thankfully, Armstrong has a writing style that has just the right balance between technical and poetic language. It's not off-puttingly clinical and scientific, but it's not verbose to the point of vagueness either. By the time you've finished the book, you've got this enriched appreciation for everything you've ever loved.

Third time I try to read this book, and this time I think I'm giving up for good (having made it only halfway through). It's not that it's bad, or difficult, as much as it is... boring.