Author(s): Scott Olsen

Science

The Golden Section - otherwise known as phi, the golden mean, or golden ratio - is one of the most elegant and beautiful ratios in the universe. Defined as a line segment divided into two unequal parts, such that the ratio of the shorter portion to the longer portion is the same as the longer portion to the whole, it pops up throughout nature - in water, DNA, the proportions of fish and butterflies, and the number of teeth we possess - as well as in art and architecture, music, philosophy, science, and mathematics. This is the most accessible and appealing guide to the subject ever assembled. Beautifully illustrated, The Golden Section tells the story of this remarkable construct and its wide-ranging influence on civilization and the natural world.