Customer Reviews

Platonic & Archimedean Solids (Wooden Books)

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This is a charming little book. It's very concise, profusely illustrated, and it covers the basic geometry of platonic and archimedean solids. It delightfully summarizes the work of Plato/Theaetetus, Archimedes, Euclid, Kepler, and Euler in only 57 pages, half of which contain only illustrations. As a model-builder who attaches no special religious significance to polyhedra, I was a little concerned when I looked at the other books in the series that this book might be about "sacred geometry." Fortunately (at least from my point of view) it does not contain a word about it, except for a cursory reference to the elements Plato associated with each of the Platonic Solids. A table at the end includes the dihedral and central angles and edge/radius ratios for all the platonic and archimedean solids--all the info a model builder needs! This book won't impress anyone with a mathematics background, but for a layman like me, it's a perfect introduction. Kudos to Sutton for putting this material in such an elegant and accessible format!

I believe the Wooden Book series is just amazing. Great ideas, and reasy to understand.

I read the book about the Harmonograph, but I believe this book is better.

I really enjoyed learning about what the Platonic Solids are. I really enjoyed the simple proof to why there can only be fine Platonic Solids, too. That is amazing.

My friends wanted me to shut up by the time I was finished with this book, because I talked about it so much. I used it for a College Geometry project, and it really helped.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know about mathematical topics that not many people hear about, but at the same time, want an easy read.

Before even getting into my review,let me congratulate M.Connelly "Polyhedron" for his excellent review ,which gives a good summary of what's in this little book.I also noted that it is the one and only from him; and hope he continues to submit more in the future.
I first came across this series of small,but enchanting books some time ago when I found "Sacred Geometry" by Miranda Lundy,Published in April,2001.I loved it; as you can see by my Review posted on November 28,2003.My interest was really tweaked with these models ,a couple of years ago.I met a man who made this type of models and,spent a few afternoons with him at his home.He also fell in love with these solid models and has built a couple of hundred of them.He is a retired engineer in his eighties and knew H.M.S.Coxeter and Magnus Wenninger.He worked out a way to build these Geometric models using wooden balls for the vertices and sticks for the edges.This leaves the faces empty,thus the solid models become skeletonal;resembling those used to show the arrangement of atoms in compounds.Drilling the holes in the balls is complicated and must be done very precisely.To accomplish this,he constructed a set-up and jigs for this purpose.He paints the balls different colours;creating very interesting configurations.He also built a computer which helps him calculate the angles for the holes and length of the sticks.His computer also allows him to find out what stellations are possible to construct as models,and which ones are not possible.He gave me one of his models and it is one of my prized possessions.
The last page of the book,"Further Reading"will give the reader wonderful insights an exquisit examples of what fascinating solids are possible to construct.I have owned "Polyhedron Models" by Magnus Wenninger,and highly recommmend it;and also highly recommend his excellent Website to view his spectacular models.
I had not known or even heard of George Hart;but now ,thanks to this book,I visited his Website and it is simply outstanding;and a must for anyone who wants to see to what heights these models can be taken.
Oh yes,I wondered what other books existed in this series and a search on Amazon under "Wooden Books" produced anout 35 in all.If they are all as good as the ones I've seen,there are many more treasures to be found here.
If you are a fan of Recreational Mathematics,you may already have "Mathematical Recreations" by W.W. Rouse Ball,a classic,first published in 1892 and published in many later Editions.The 11th Edition contained a new chapter "Polyhedra' by Dr.H.S. M. Coxeter mentioned above.It has been reprinted several times.
If you want to look further in this subject,I strongly recommend the book "King Of Infinite Space"-The Man Who Saved Geometry by Siobhan Roberts in 2006; one of his students.I reviewed that book on February 11,2008.

The diagrams are simple to see and the information is enough to get started looking for more. Easy language, lay person's terms.