Divine Proportion: Phi In Art, Nature, and Science (Hardcover)

by Priya Hemenway (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The number Phi, simply defined, is one plus the square root of five, all divided by two. But its myriad occurrences in art, nature, and science have been a source of speculation and wonder for thousands of years. Divine Proportion draws upon both religion and science to tell the story of Phi and to explore its manifestations in such diverse places as the structure of the inner ear, the spiral of a hurricane, the majesty of the Parthenon, and the elusive perfection of the Mona Lisa. A universal key to harmony, regeneration, and balance, Phi is at the heart of a tantalizing story begun on clay tablets in ancient Babylon, and which will continue to be written for centuries to come.
 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (October 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402735227
• ISBN-13: 978-1402735226
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 7.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #68,717 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nice design, no depth, February 6, 2006

By	K. Gray "you know, that guy" (Oneonta, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Anyone who has taken a few serious art, architecture, or mathematics classes has at least heard about this magical number, the divine proportion, which has existed as theory in various forms for centuries. I had purchased this book in hopes of learning more about how artists and mathematicians had used this number over time, and especially how it relates to aesthetics in fine art and in nature. I was decidedly underwhelmed.

While the book is nicely designed and the pages are pretty, there is very little depth in the actual text. Most of the images are there to simply fill space; they are not used in any way to illustrate the point the author is supposedly trying to make. Most of the text of the book is actually spent in providing brief, Cliff Notes-like biographies of the people who used the divine proportion. The author spends very little time explaining the actual use of the number, which just makes her argument seem weak and the book seem like a farce. While I am still convinced that the divine proportion and the Fibonacci sequence have importance in mathematical, scientific, and aesthetic theory, this book did nothing to strengthen that conviction. All it did, in fact, was infuriate me by not providing the information I was searching for.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good basic book, June 9, 2006

By	Fair reviewer (California) - See all my reviews

This book gives a good introduction to the concept of the Divine Proportion. The last reviewer seems irritated because this was not the advanced book he expected, but that doesn't diminish the quality of the book.

This book is perfect for those who are curious about the Divine Proportion and how it has been used through the ages. The design and illustrations are delightful.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Pryia Hemenway's "DIVINE PROPORTION". PHI., June 1, 2008

By	Jose Azeredo Keating (COIMBRA, PORTUGAL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

On my view Pryia's book is a delight to read, making a Synthesis between the artístic, qualitative, impressionistic,poetic,humanistic, psychological,
aproach to the study of reality,and the quantitative, mathematic, approach.In fact the designation of"Synthesis"is probably inadequate,one of the more interesting aspects of the book being the discovery of the mathematics present in the beauty of several natural productions as well as in several works of Men and Women.When writing this it came to my mind a few lines of James Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a young man":"Ad pulchritudinem tria requiruntur: integritas, consonantia,claritas",where it is said that beauty (ad pulchritudinem...), besides the impression it causes in the beholder(claritas...) is understandable following three parameters (tria...),easily comprehensible, but not so easy to translate exactly.Pryia's book tries, very bravely,to give a present day, mathematic, version of these words, atributed by Joyce to Thomas Aquinas. I dare to reccomend a reading of the three authors above mentioned. Start with "DIVINE PROPORTION"...
Pryia's book