Get Free Ebook The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, the World's Most Astonishing Number

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The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, the World's Most Astonishing Number

Get Free Ebook The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, the World's Most Astonishing Number

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From Publishers Weekly

Most readers will have at least dim memories from geometry class of the irrational number pi. Theoretical astrophysicist Livio gives pi's overlooked cousin phi its due with this lively account, the first on the subject written for the layperson. Phi is the golden ratio of antiquity (1.6180339887), a never-ending number so lauded for its harmonious qualities that in the 16th century it was dubbed the divine proportion. It is related to phenomena as diverse as the petal arrangements of roses, the breeding patterns of rabbits and the shape of our galaxy. Phi is also claimed to have been crucial in the design of the Great Pyramids, the composition of the Mona Lisa and the construction of Stradivarius violins. Livio (The Accelerating Universe) carefully investigates these and other claims and does not hesitate to debunk myths perpetuated by overzealous enthusiasts he calls "Golden Numberists." This is an engaging history of mathematics as well, addressing such perennial questions as the geometric basis of aesthetic pleasure and the nature of mathematical objects. Useful diagrams and handsome illustrations of works under discussion are amply provided. Livio is gifted with an accessible, entertaining style: one typical chapter bounds within five pages from an extended discourse on prime numbers to a clever Oscar Wilde quote about beauty to an amusing anecdote about Samuel Beckett and finally to an eminently clear explanation of G"del's incompleteness theorem. With a guide to the history of ideas as impassioned as Livio, even the math-phobic can experience the shock and pleasure of scientific discovery. This thoroughly enjoyable work vividly demonstrates to the general reader that, as Galileo put it, the universe is, indeed, written in the language of mathematics.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Take something as simple as a line segment and mark it at just the right place. Looking at it with a mathematician's eye, an interesting relationship appears: the ratio between the whole line and the larger of the pieces it was broken into is the same as the ratio of the larger piece and smaller piece. Better known as "the golden ratio" or phi, 1.618- is a number that has fascinated humans for several hundred years, and people have claimed evidence of phi in all manner of things. Livio takes readers on a treasure hunt for phi from ancient times through the present. On the way, he debunks a number of popular myths (e.g., the notion that Mondrian used it in his abstract paintings) and does a wonderful job explaining the Fibonacci sequence and its relationship to phi. Small, black-and-white photos and reproductions demonstrate items mentioned in the text. While it may seem that the author wanders in his expositions, his excursions into history and number games add fun and depth for those who wish to follow. To get the most out of The Golden Ratio, it is best to have an understanding of algebra and basic trigonometry, although the book is great for general readers who don't mind working a little to gain a lot of understanding.Sheila Shoup, Fairfax County Public Library, VACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product details

Hardcover: 304 pages

Publisher: Broadway; 1 edition (October 29, 2002)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0767908155

ISBN-13: 978-0767908153

Product Dimensions:

6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review:

4.3 out of 5 stars

171 customer reviews

Amazon Best Sellers Rank:

#244,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Dr. Mario Livio takes us on such an engaging and intelligent journey on the history of number and mathematics. The carrot is the search for the golden ratio, and he certainly delivers on that in unexpected ways, debunking common misconceptions such as golden ration being the basis for the pyramids, the parthenon, and many famous artworks. On the other hand, he shows that the actual properties of the golden ratio continue to reveal even greater secrets! The deeper theme of the book is the relationship between mathematics and the real world—does mathematics reflect our universe or does our universe strive to conform to mathematics (a Platonic view)? The excitement and enthusiasm for this pursuit sparkles throughout the book.

Mario Livio's The Golden Ratio nicely balanced the last book I read about the world's most astonishing number. Actually, it far surpassed it! While Livio debunks the opinion of others that phi is conspicuous in the ancient pyramids and other monumental ancient works of art, his lively discussion of other places where we are surprised to find phi is enlightening and entertaining. Whether you are curious to know more about the golden number, the golden ratio, the golden triangle, rectangle, rhombohedra, golden sequences, or golden trees I heartily recommend this book!If it's been a few years since you finished school and like me you "returned" most of the higher math you learned to the teacher (as they say in Mandarin Chinese), you may have to concentrate to follow some of the math proofs.On a personal level, I am tempted to use Benford's Law in our local community center to engage a few of the local leaders. I hope I can find time in the next few weeks! Also, this book also leaves me wanting to read Livio's latest book "Is God a Mathematician?" and a few recent works by others on chaos theory and complexity systems.

Mario Livio gives an accessible and objective history of the occurrences and uses of the Golden Ration. He makes a strong argument for Phi as "the world's most astonishing number" while at the same time mitigating some of the more radical claims about the number and its influence through history.The intricacies of Phi and the surprising places it turns up will certainly be more appreciated given some knowledge of mathematics, but Livio took care to invite the lay reader. His writing, while sometimes technical, is never intimidating, and the hard stuff is nicely tucked in the book's appendices for reader's with a mathematical background to dissect.The book has two main points - one to simply elucidate what Phi is, how its value was obtained and where it's found in mathematically related disciplines and natural phenomena. The other is to determine the validity of claims of humanity's use of it through history - for instance, its use in the construction of the Pyramids of Egypt. When Livio deals with this latter point, he is never romantic and always objective. He analyzes arguments that have been made for Phi's presence in art and architecture and comes to an unambiguous conclusion about Phi's aesthetic merit. I found no reason to disagree with any of his arguments, but I did occasionally find them to be overly exhaustive, particularly when it turns out that certain people thought Phi to be a bit more astonishing than is actually the case. Still, Livio is a cogent writer, and his book is probably the best place to start if you'd like to learn about Phi.

I own several books on dynamic symmetry, which includes the Golden Ratio. Unfortunately all of the other books (3 of them, some rare and out of print) are heavily mathematic in their texts. I would say at least 90% math and about 10% English. So I was stuck trying to decipher the text via the sparce English.This book is not only fun to read (for a non-mathmetician type), it is fairly easy to understand (not a quick read, and at some points it takes some effort), and I would guesstimate about 80% English, 10% essential illustrations, and 10% math.And, since I find all this dynamic symmetry and Phi stuff fascinating--and do not want to go back to school to learn advanced algebra and trig--this book is a godsend!One more thing. This is written by a scientist that can write for non-scientists. He has done his research very thoroughly and covers the subject comprehensively.

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The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, the World's Most Astonishing Number PDF

The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, the World's Most Astonishing Number PDF

The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, the World's Most Astonishing Number PDF