A Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe: Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art, and Science

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.

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Smarter Choice Paperback, A Beginner's Guide to... An imaginative tour of the numbers one through ten that illustrates how they consistently recur in everything from...	23,982 reviews *smarter certified	$10.52	See it
Beginner's Guide to Constructing the... General Mathematics - The Universe May Be a Mystery, But It's No Secret Michael Schneider leads us on a spectacular,...	Barnes & Noble	$19 $13.64 Coupon 2 coupons available Code:J7M3C9V Detail: 20% off single item when you use Master card at Barnes & Noble Expires:Dec-31-2009 Restriction:Unknow Code:No Code Required Detail: Free Shipping on orders of $25 at Barnes & Noble Expires:Jun-30-2010 Restriction:see site for more details	See it
The Beginner's Guide to Constructing... The universe may be a mystery, but it's no secret.Michael Schneider leads us on a spectacular, lavishly illustrated...	24 reviews	$7.17 Free Shipping	See it
A Beginner's Guide to Constructing... Pages: 351, Paperback, HarperPerennial	Amazon 11,406 reviews	$13.27 Coupon 1 coupon available Code:No Code Required Detail: FREE Shipping on orders over $25 at Amazon. Expires:Dec-31-2010 Restriction:Some restrictions apply. See site for details.	See it

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ProductReviews92/100 (57 Reviews)

Recent Reviews

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Sep-08-2009; Easy to read and very interesting.; Wonderful resource for my high school Geometry classes. But even if you're not a high school student, this book will keep you interested and wanting to "construct" a little of your universe!; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Aug-26-2009; A new way to think about numbers; The quotes in the sidebars from all parts of the world and most of recorded history add immensely to the content that is enlightening all by itself. He organizes things I already knew but never associated with numbers into a logical 10...; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Jul-25-2009; Brillian engaging exposition; Brilliantly engaging exposition of numbers in math, harmony, and the world. Lively, lucid, and incisive discussions start with numbers 1-10. One gains a rich appreciation of the patterns in the forms and movements of nature. I am left...; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: May-26-2009; Amazing; Very readable, relevant, and inspiring. My eyes were opened and I have begun to see order everywhere present in nature from the smallest atoms to the infinite universe.; read full review | report as inappropriate

Selected Reviews

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Sep-08-2009; Easy to read and very interesting.; Wonderful resource for my high school Geometry classes. But even if you're not a high school student, this book will keep you interested and wanting to "construct" a little of your universe!; read full review | report as inappropriate

3/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Jan-30-2001; Eye-opening, yet flawed...; What I find fascinating about this book is the way it explores relationships between numbers, and why geometry is not as artificial and arbitrary as most people think today. For example, the REASON why bees construct honeycombs from...; read full review | report as inappropriate

2/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Aug-22-2007; A few gems--mostly blather; Reminds me of people who see number patterns in everything--even when it's mere coincidence. A few good ideas and concepts, but trying to tease them out is a chore. And some of the books statements are flat wrong--sorry, but nature is...; read full review | report as inappropriate