Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.
The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.
Bridges and buildings, DNA, the periodic table, flora and fauna, machines, circuits, human beings and the societies of which they are part, even thoughts and ideas - all can be understood as particular structures which are part of our world and our experience of it. Yet the notion of structure, whether organic or inorganic, natural or artificial, is far more intangible. Too often the implication is of something rigid and complete, yet structure and the process of structuring can be both open and dynamic. These eight essays consider structure as an inclusive, open-ended theme offering itself to interpretation within many disciplines of the sciences, arts and humanities. Each essay represents an attempt to ponder and assess the role of structure in a particular discipline by an author eminent in that field. In doing so, the essays become acts of 'structuring structure', true to the rich, dynamic nature of the topic.