The Curves of Life

by Theodore Andrea Cook

The open-ended curve of the spiral gives a sensation of continuous motion — of life, in fact. In The Curves of Life, Sir Theodore A. Cook (1867–1928), English author and editor, finds that the spiral or helix may lie at the core of life's first principle — that of growth. The spiral is fundamental to the structure of plants, shells, and the human body; to the periodicity of atomic elements and to an animal's horns; to microscopic DNA (the double helix) and to the Andromeda nebula.
The Curves of Life portrays the significance of the spiral in 426 illustrations, from a Narwhal's tusk to Dürer's plan for a cylindrical helix. From the spiral in nature, science, and art, the author suggests ideas on the essence of beauty and man's response to it. "One of the chief beauties of the spiral as an imaginative conception is that it is always growing, yet never covering the same ground, so that it is not merely an explanation of the past, but is also a prophecy of the future."
Martin Gardner, mathematician and author, said of The Curves of Life, "This is the classic reference on how the golden ratio applies to spirals and helices in nature."

Genres: Science, Art, Mathematics, Biology, Nature, Design

528 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Sir Theodore Andrea Cook was a British art critic and writer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor...

Reviews

[Tom Schulte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theodore Andrea Cook (1867–1928), with a deep background in sport and literature, traveled in Europe during the early Twentieth Century and published authoritative works on French and English history, Leonardo da Vinci, and sculpture among other subjects. In 1910 he became editor of The Field: The County Gentleman’s Newspaper until his death in 1928. In his passionate sleuthing of the open-ended spiral curve in this book he uncovers what he sees as a beautiful truth foundational to the structure of plants, shells, physiology, the periodic table, animal horns, and galaxies. (Sometimes the horns of goats are morphological indications of domestication, a physiological indicator that always strikes me whenever I encounter it.) The Curves of Life explores such significances through 426 illustrations from a Narwhal's tusk to rare seashells to exquisite architecture. No less than Martin Gardner said of this work, "This is the classic reference on how the golden ratio applies to spirals and helices in nature."...

[Look for my entire review at MAA Reviews]

[Isaac Lambert]

SO MANY SPIRALS. Left hand spirals, right hand spirals...

This is an odd book. I got to about page 100 before I started skimming. And then I just looked at the pictures.

I think I heard of this book after teaching an 'Intro Math' class where I taught fractals. And yes, some of that is fun without much math. But this is semi-math, trying to be smart in places where it is obviously not. I know this is dated. But there are chapters on left and right handed people! And then spiral staircases!

Yes, spirals in flowers and shells and horns are interesting. But more than anything, this book just contains lots of examples.

[J Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and "profusely illustrated" volume on every sort of curve (spiral) you can imagine; both in the natural world and in architecture. Some of the "science" may have been overtaken, but that does not detract from the overall quality. Written in 1914, the Dover edition is surprisingly readable and informative. Recommended.