I picked this up at a used book store in Hood River, OR as I had just finished Making Ideas Happen and wanted something a little different. While Symmetry: A Journey into the Patterns of Nature presents itself as the authors struggle to define an abstract corner of math that deals with symmetries in 10 to the Xth dimensions, it is really the story of math.

The author takes us through the history of math and how it developed from simple addition to mind bending complexity we deal with today. He uses symmetry and his own quest to publish a new theory to explain the development of greater and greater applications of math.

It was certainly interesting to hear the authors thought process and see the parallels between his field and design. While both are controlled by some strict rules (math and physics) they Both require a great amount of observation and creativity. When you truly dive deep into a problem you become intimately familiar with it and can see the patterns emerge.

It was also interesting to hear his thoughts on the stages of communication and what each level takes.

“There are three stages to understanding something. The first is when you suddenly get it. The second is standing in front of a seminar audience and trying to convey to others the vision you’ve had. The equations on the blackboard combine withe the physical presence of the speaker to conjure up ideas to the listener. But the third and hardest stage of understanding something is translating it to the printed page. There, maths is going to be read without you present as a guide. everything must be well signposted so that the reader doesn’t get lost.” pg. 208

“I must judge the amount of detail so that the reader doesn’t get so bogged down that they lose the overarching narrative. This is the art of writing up your ideas, and it often involves creating new language to describe them.”

It is also true in design for an idea that is not communicated does not exist. Different levels of explanation are necessary for different audiences and media formats. Information has to be weighed so as not to overload and confuse.

I actually burned through this book in about a week, but wouldn’t recommend for those with a fear of numbers.