Why Beauty Is Truth by Ian Stewart is the book that I chose for the reading assignment. This book is about the History of symmetry. This author also wrote the books Nature's Numbers and Does God Play Dice?. Looking at the cover, we see a butterfly which is sometimes viewed as a symbol for symmetry. This type is symmetry is called bilateral symmetry as it is symmetrical on both the left and right sides. Reading the inside cover it begins by relating the theory of relativity, quantum mechanics, string theory, and modern cosmology to symmetry. It then talks about how symmetry has been a key idea for artists, architects and musicians for centuries and has come into play with mathematics more recently. This book tells the history of symmetry from ancient Babylon to twenty-first century physics.
Reading the praises on the back of the book, we see that Ian Stewart is "a master who can make even algebraic equations look fascinating". It also shares that the style is both engaging and nontechnical. This book shares with us not only the key discoveries but also the stories of the people who made those discoveries.
This book seems interesting to say the least. I hope that the praises on the back are true in that it is not overly technical in the phrasing but is more of an easy read. I also hope that I find the stories as engaging and fascinating as those who have already read this book. I believe I will enjoy it as I find symmetry interesting.
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