EBOOK Shapes:Nature's patterns: a tapestry in three parts

Patterns are everywhere in nature - in the ranks of clouds in the sky, the stripes        of an angelfish, the arrangement of petals in flowers. Where does this order and        regularity come from? It creates itself. The patterns we see come from        self-organization. Whether living or non-living, scientists have found that there is        a pattern-forming tendency inherent in the basic structure and processes of nature,        so that from a few simple themes, and the repetition of simple rules,        endlessbeautiful variations can arise.Part of a trilogy of books exploring the        science of patterns in nature, acclaimed science writer Philip Ball here looks at        how shapes form. From soap bubbles to honeycombs, delicate shell patterns, and even        the developing body parts of a complex animal like ourselves, he uncovers patterns        in growth and form in all corners of the natural world, explains how these patterns        are self-made, and why similar shapes and structures may be found in very different        settings, orchestrated by nothing morethan simple physical forces. This book will        make you look at the world with fresh eyes, seeing order and form even in the places        you'd least expect.