By Nature's Design (An Exploratorium Book) - Hardcover

Murphy, Pat; Neill, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0811804445 ISBN 13: 9780811804448

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 1993

Synopsis

Examines symmetry and patterns in nature, and theorizes, mathematically and geometrically, about each design pictured

About this title

Review:

Chaos theory may be all the rage in the mathematical world, but most people like at least some measure of order in their lives, whether through daily routines or tested methods of getting something done. Writer Pat Murphy and photographer William Neill appeal to our quest for patterns with this book, based on a major exhibit at San Francisco's Exploratorium. Together they puzzle out how pebbles form clusters on the beach, how an ear of corn grows, how mountains and clouds form and how spiders make their webs: how, in short, nature sees to it that things happen in much the same way again and again. The science is simple ("the sleeping cat curls into a ball because this shape offers the least surface area"), and the photographs are both splendid and informative, making this a fine gift for budding young naturalists.

About the Author:

Wiliam Neill -- whose photographs have illustrated numerous publications including Sierra, Conde Nast Traveler, and Outside -- is a longtime resident of Yosemite National Park and has his own Web Site at www.williamneill.com.

About this edition

• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0811804445
• ISBN 13: 9780811804448
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 119