Poetry of the Universe: A Mathematical Exploration of the Cosmos

by Robert Osserman

Overview

In the bestselling literary tradition of Lewis Thomas's Lives of a Cell and James Watson's The Double Helix, Poetry of the Universe is a delightful and compelling narrative charting the evolution of mathematical ideas that have helped to illuminate the nature of the observable universe. In a richly anecdotal fashion, the book explores the leaps of imagination and vision in mathematics that have helped pioneer our understanding of the world around us.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780385474290
Publisher:	Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/15/1996
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	4.63(w) x 7.22(h) x 0.58(d)

Editorial Reviews

This short, delightful book is essential reading for those educated in the liberal and fine arts who have never had the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of mathematics and physics. Osserman, a Stanford University professor who developed a math and physics course for humanities majors, manages to convey some of the fascination of these two fields without getting involved in technical details and without talking down to his audience. His seamless development leads the reader almost effortlessly from the early efforts of the ancients to measure the earth through the open problems in modern cosmology. Strongly recommended.-Harold D. Shane, Baruch Coll., CUNY

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