On Growth and Form

Rating:
Summary: A misunderstood classic
Review: A great book, to be read by all biophysicists-to-be.

The modern follow-up to this book is Thom's Structural Stability, which shows that the logical conclusion of Thompson's ideas is both exciting and dubious. We probably can't just 'look' at stuff, we need to make (useful) predictions or the theory won't last. The interested reader should also pick up, if briefly, Mandelbrot's Fractal Geometry of Nature.

Two notes of interest. 1) Morphology has indeed proven successful in proving physical theory: in the aggregation of dust particals, measuring the gross fractal dimension allows you to predict the type of noise involved in creating it. 2) The logarithmic spiral, together with the fibonnaci sequence and the golden ratio, show up quite surprisingly in synchronized chaotic loops.

Rating:
Summary: simply a marvellous exposition of ideas
Review: I heard about this marvellous book as I was reading in the typical popular science literature years ago now but its almost impossible to avoid contact with this tome of the archetypal polymath D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson. A remarkable man with a wonderful open view of science and the, what's now called, interdisciplinarian approach to the world. Refreshingly full of new ideas especially for his day and even now where conservatism as usual is the norm in scientific circles. I hope many scientists read this book and see not just a curiosity but a representation of a whole approach to the world of nature. I will never forget the first time I read the chapter on coordinate transformations in animal shapes, today's schools simply do not inspire in this way and its time this changed. The prescence of this book, well read, on any person's bookshelf is a must.

Rating:
Summary: On Growth and Form
Review: On Growth and Form written by D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson is a classic and should be found on the bookshelf of any well read person.

This book sets our mind up for an education in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and physiology with form and function. Language skills are needed for reading this book as the author uses the original Greek in places for explaination and emphsis. Aristotle comes to mind and German is used for emphsis.

If you want to get the full extent of the text and you are not up to speed on the subjects mentioned or you'll find it hard to read this book. This could be read by a junior or senior in high school. But, I think it would be more appropriate for college.

This book is the study of organic form using methods found in the physical sciences. This book is a challenge to read, but it is very logical and straight forward.

Rating:
Summary: a quantitatiave approach to biology
Review: This book is a classic, no two ways about it. It is really the first credible attempt to start taking a quantitative approach to biology, and despite the developments of the past century (molecular biology, etc), the problems raised in this book are just as pressing as they were when thompson wrote it. Anyone working in cell biology nowadays will immediately see applications of the ideas in this book, for example to organelle morphogenesis. The genius and erudition of thompson shine through on every page, making the book inspiring to read.

Rating:
Summary: a quantitatiave approach to biology
Review: This book is a classic, no two ways about it. It is really the first credible attempt to start taking a quantitative approach to biology, and despite the developments of the past century (molecular biology, etc), the problems raised in this book are just as pressing as they were when thompson wrote it. Anyone working in cell biology nowadays will immediately see applications of the ideas in this book, for example to organelle morphogenesis. The genius and erudition of thompson shine through on every page, making the book inspiring to read.