The Perfect Shape

Spiral Stories

By: Ã?yvind Hammer

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Hardcover | 16 December 2016

At a Glance

Hardcover
272 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
16.4 x 24.4 x 2.0

Hardcover

$59.99

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This book uses the spiral shape as a key to a multitude of strange and seemingly disparate stories about art, nature, science, mathematics, and the human endeavour. In a way, the book is itself organized as a spiral, with almost disconnected chapters circling around and closing in on the common theme. A particular strength of the book is its extremely cross-disciplinary nature - everything is fun, and everything is connected! At the same time, the author puts great emphasis on mathematical and scientific correctness, in contrast, perhaps, with some earlier books on spirals. Subjects include the mathematical properties of spirals, sea shells, sun flowers, Greek architecture, air ships, the history of mathematics, spiral galaxies, the anatomy of the human hand, the art of prehistoric Europe, Alfred Hitchcock, and spider webs, to name a few.

Industry Reviews

"He has produced a curious book that is full of short segments on spirals, their mathematics and their occurrence in both the natural and man-made worlds. ... it really does deserve to be published by Springer. It is a worthy addition ... . The mathematically-oriented reader will likely be fascinated by this charming book." (Jeff Ibbotson, MAA Reviews, October, 2017)

"Coverage consists of 53 short chapters that present mathematical insights, astronomical wonders, biological phenomena, and architectural and artistic considerations guaranteed to intrigue. ... The content is focused on appreciating the beauty of each spiral or helical shape presented, and the richness of the extensive photographs and illustrations provide a visual feast. Quite simply, these spiral stories deliver an enriching experience for the reader. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and general readers." (N. W. Schillow, Choice, Vol. 54 (12), August, 2017)

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