Shelter is many things - a visually dynamic, oversized compendium of organic architecture past and present; a how-to book that includes over 1,250 illustrations; and a Whole Earth Catalog-type sourcebook for living in harmony with the earth by using every conceivable material. First published in 1973, Shelter remains a source of inspiration and invention. Including the nuts-and-bolts aspects of building, the book covers such topics as dwellings from Iron Age huts to Bedouin tents to Togo's tin-and-thatch houses; nomadic shelters from tipis to "housecars"; and domes, dome cities, sod iglus, and even treehouses. The authors recount personal stories about alternative dwellings that illustrate sensible solutions to problems associated with using materials found in the environment - with fascinating, often surprising results.
A colorful square, dissected into four parts, with hinges marked in black. If you leave the blue piece fixed and swing the others around their hinges, a new shape will emerge. Can you guess just by looking what it will be? This is just one of the tricky geometrical gems that will make a puzzler’s mind work overtime. Try drawing a set of variously shaped polygons using only a compass and a ruler (no measuring allowed!), figuring out which of two sculptures is bigger (logic alone won’t give you the answer), and lots more.
Unlock the mystery and magic of sacred geometry to create mandalas using ancient design principles. Pythagoras believed that mathematical truths shift the psyche closer to divine perfection. The Fibonacci sequence has been found to exist in patterns throughout nature. C. G. Jung thought that contemplating the mandala could unveil the unconscious. The designs here draw on the vast history and knowledge once thought esoteric, now available as tools for cultivating spiritual and psychological well-being. Create your own mandala based on geometry, numbers, and signs, or color a mandala as a meditative process to tap into your creativity and intuition. However you use this guide, geometry can be a pathway to grasping who you are, where you belong, and what you are to do. Discover how this timeless practice can help you on your journey of self-realization!
This book presents an account of selected topics from key mathematical works of medieval Islam, based on the Arabic texts themselves. Many of these works had a great influence on mathematics in Western Europe. Topics covered in the first edition include arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and numerical approximation; this second edition adds number theory and combinatorics. Additionally, the author has included selections from the western regions of medieval Islam—both North Africa and Spain. The author puts the works into their historical context and includes numerous examples of how mathematics interacted with Islamic society.
'Everyone interested in geometric dissections, and this kind of puzzles, either mathematically or recreationally will embrace this publication. But also the readers interested in the history and certainly those who became curious about this mystery man and his manuscript, after reading Frederickson’s 2006 book, will be fully satisfied with this respectful reproduction eventually made available for a general public.'European Mathematical Society'Ernest Irving Freese's Geometric Transformations does not just uncover a mathematical gem. It is also a piece of art and a mind-puzzling set of ingenious dissections done by a master of architectural drawings and amateur mathematician. It is a practical book that shows the beauty of dissection and how we can get from a polygon to another by cutting it to pieces and recollect them in some special way. The book is written in a very elegant style, and nicely presented. Freese’s manuscript was photographed and wasn’t altered in any way — this preserved its beauty. Freese’s drawing shows ingenuity and it shows how meticulous he was. For those people who are interested in geometry or in geometric dissections and for those who admire puzzles and recreational mathematics this book is a must.' (See Full Review)MAA ReviewsA geometric dissection is a cutting of a geometric figure (such as a regular polygon, or a star, or a cross) into pieces that we can rearrange to form another geometric figure. The best dissections are beautiful and possess economy (few pieces), symmetry, or hingeability. They are often challenging to discover.Ernest Irving Freese was an architect who lived and worked in Los Angeles until his death in 1957. Shortly before he passed away, he completed a 200-page manuscript on geometric dissection, the first book-length treatment on that subject. Freese included elegant drawings of dissections that were both original and clever. After his death the manuscript lay forgotten in his former house until Greg Frederickson set in motion its recovery in 2003. What a treat that it was rescued!Frederickson's book sketches a history of geometric dissections and a biography of Freese, followed by a refurbished copy of Freese's manuscript interleaved with a commentary that highlights Freese's major contributions as well as singular improvements made by Frederickson and others after Freese.This book introduces Freese and his creations to math puzzle enthusiasts, by way of his engaging manuscript, his wild adventures, and his lovely dissections. Frederickson also includes remarkable designs that improve on Freese's work, and packs this book with nifty illustrations and tidbits that may well leave you speechless!
