1. Introduction.- 2. Perception and Symmetry.- 3. Johannes Kepler.- 4. Buckminster Fuller.- 5. Linus Pauling.- 6. Aleksandr Kitaigorodskii.- 7. Desmond Bernal.- 8. Pierre Curie.- 9. Epilogue.- Name Index.
Springer Book Archives
`István and Magdolna Hargittai have written a dazzling book on
symmetry in all its complex and beautiful variety, especially on
its central role in today's science. ... It is a delight to read
and ponder, sure to become a classic reference on a concept as
fundamental to physics and chemistry as it has always been to
aesthetics.'
Martin Gardner, Formerly of Scientific American, author of The New
Ambidextrous Universe
`The book departs from the standard types of history in that it
brings in the personalities of the people who have made great
advances in our understanding of structures, inorganic, organic,
and biological The stories bring out the personal side of
scientific discoveries with the hurdles, obstacles, side steps, and
controversies; and this makes for a most lively book quite
different from a more conventional academic history of the subjects
tackled. ... The book can appeal to a wide range of readers who are
guaranteed not to find a dull page.'
Sir Aaron Klug, Nobel Laureate, President of the Royal Society
(London)
`A book which should fascinate every reader.'
Torvald Laurent, Chairman of Trustees, Nobel Foundation,
Stockholm
`An informative and highly original account ... in terms of the
people who made the big conceptual advances. Kepler, Fuller,
Pauling, Bernal, Curie, Kroto ... all come to life in this unusual
and effective synthesis of science and biographical journalism. The
authors' love of their topics shines through on every page.
Marvelous!'
Ian Stewart, Scientific American
`István and Magdolna Hargittai have written a richly textured and
entertaining work based on a personal curiosity about the roleof
symmetry in life, and particularly in the sciences. ... The topics
are as varied as the science itself. Anyone reading it will never
again look on science, art, or nature with quite the same
eyes.'
Sir John Cornforth, Nobel Laureate, University of Sussex,
England
`They follow, in fascinating detail, lines of development where the
relaxation of an imposed or imagined symmetry has led to the
deepening of scientific insight... There is always a wonderful
interplay between scientific and artistic endeavors... The story is
fascinatingly instructive, and displays scintillating gems of
scientific thought. Written by avid collectors of oral history, the
book includes lengthy quotations from interviews with contemporary
scientists, some evidently published here for the first time. These
quotations bring the story to life, and generate insights that
could not be gained from reading the scientific literature... Each
chapter is dedicated to an iconic figure of science and art, and
contains a series of linked short essays. Like the faces of a
polyhedron, the subject matter of one essay fits closely to several
others, and the authors have personally chosen a structure that is
fascinatingly non-symmetrical.'
Nature (August 2000)
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