Flow: Nature's patterns: a tapestry in three parts

by Philip Ball

Overview

From the swirl of a wisp of smoke to eddies in rivers, and the huge persistent storm system that is the Great Spot on Jupiter, we see similar forms and patterns wherever there is flow - whether the movement of wind, water, sand, or flocks of birds. It is the complex dynamics of flow that structures our atmosphere, land, and oceans. Part of a trilogy of books exploring the science of patterns in nature by acclaimed science writer Philip Ball, this volume explores the elusive rules that govern flow - the science of chaotic behaviour.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191579820
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	06/11/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	8 MB

About the Author

Philip Ball is a freelance writer and a consultant editor for Nature, where he previously worked as an editor for physical sciences. He is a regular commentator in the scientific and popular media on science and its interactions with art, history and culture. His ten books on scientific subjects include The Self-Made Tapestry: Pattern Formation in Nature, H2O: A Biography of Water, The Devil's Doctor: Paracelsus and the World of Renaissance Magic and Science, and Critical Mass: How One Thing Leads To Another, which won the 2005 Aventis Prize for Science Books. He was awarded the 2006 James T. Grady - James H. Stack award by the American Chemical Society for interpreting chemistry for the public. Philip studied chemistry at Oxford and holds a doctorate in physics from the University of Bristol.

Table of Contents

1. The Man Who Loved Fluids: Leonardo's Legacy
2. Patterns Downstream: Ordered Flows
3. On a Roll: How Convection Shapes the World
4. Riddle of the Dunes: When Grains Get Together
5. Follow Your Neighbour: Flocks, Swarms and Crowds
6. Into the Maelstrom: The Trouble With Turbulence Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

"Highly recommended. Ball is an inspired generalist who is able to take different intellectual and academic perspectives, as well as wildly divergent natural phenomena, and weave them into a coherent tapestry that will serve the professional and the casual reader alike. The writing is both precise and readable, and the generous illustrations are fascinating, informative, and consistently well done. Although a number of works like this have been published in recent years, few have been of similar quality. These three volumes are a worthwhile addition to any library collection."—Choice

"Provide[s] a window into all that's fascinating in nature, skimming from pattern to pattern in prose and history, shedding light on the physical and chemical forces behind nature's tapestry without losing readers in the math." —Seed Magazine

From the Publisher