Origins of Form

The Shape of Natural and Man-made Things— Why They Came to Be the Way They Are and How They Change

By Christopher Williams

Origins of Form is about the shape of things. What limits the height of a tree? Why is a large ship or office building more efficient than a small one? What is the similarity between a human rib cage and an airplane or a bison and a cantilevered bridge? How might we plan for things to improve as they are used instead of wearing out? The author has chosen eight criteria that constitute the major influences on three-dimensional form. These criteria comprise the eight chapters of the book: each looks at form from entirely different viewpoints. The products of both nature and man are examined and compared.

Christopher Williams has lectured on and written many articles about the theory of design, and he has taught design and architecture at the University of California, Los Angeles; the Cleveland Art Institute; the University of Alberta in Canada; and in the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis at Cornell University.

Rights sold: Complex Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, Korean

Taylor Trade Publishing

April 2013

144 pages

Paperback

978 1 5897 9808 3 eBook 978 1 5897 9936 3

Architecture • Reference

Math Makers

The Lives and Works of 50 Famous Mathematicians

By Alfred S. Posamentier and Christian Spreitzer

Mathematics today is the fruit of centuries of brilliant insights by men and women whose personalities and life experiences were often as extraordinary as their mathematical achievements. This entertaining history of mathematics chronicles those achievements through fifty short biographies that bring these great thinkers to life while making their contributions understandable to readers with little math background. Among the fascinating characters profiled are Isaac Newton (1642–1727), the founder of classical physics and infinitesimal calculus—he frequently quarreled with fellow scientists and was obsessed by alchemy and arcane Bible interpretation; Sophie Germain (1776–1831), who studied secretly at the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, using the name of a previously enrolled male student—she is remembered for her work on Fermat’s Last Theorem and on elasticity theory; Emmy Noether (1882–1935), whom Albert Einstein described as the most important woman in the history of mathematics—she made important contributions to abstract algebra and in physics she clarified the connection between conservation laws and symmetry.

Alfred S. Posamentier has published over sixty books in the area of mathematics and mathematics education.

Christian Spreitzer is a co-author of The Mathematics of Everyday Life and The Joy of Mathematics

Rights sold: Simplified Chinese

Prometheus

April 2020

440 pages

Paperback 978 1 6338 8520 2 eBook 978 1 6338 8521 9

Mathematics • History & Philosophy

The Joy of Chemistry

The Amazing Science of Familiar Things

By Cathy Cobb and Monty Fetterolf

This book challenges the perception of chemistry as too difficult to bother with and too clinical to be any fun. Cathy Cobb and Monty L. Fetterolf, both professional chemists and experienced educators, introduce readers to the magic, elegance, and, yes, joy of chemistry. From the fascination of fall foliage and fireworks, to the functioning of smoke detectors and computers, to the fundamentals of digestion (as when good pizza goes bad!), the authors illustrate the concepts of chemistry in terms of everyday experience, using familiar materials. Rights sold: Arabic

Prometheus

January 2010 • 400 pages

Paperback 978 1 5910 2771 3 eBook978 1 6159 2019 8

Science • Chemistry / General

The Joy of Physics

By Arthur W. Wiggins, illustrated by Sidney Harris

For those who have always wanted to discover the joy of physics, this is the book that they’ve been waiting for. Many people remember their struggles with physics in high school and have wished for the right opportunity to gain an appreciation of this significant area of knowledge. Now is their chance not only to understand physics, but to do physics. The author provides the general reader with a funfilled, entertaining, and truly educational tour of this allimportant science.

The Joy of Geometry

By Alfred S. Posamentier

A veteran math educator reveals the hidden fascinations of geometry and why this staple of math education is important. Geometry is more than axioms, postulates, theorems, and proofs. It’s the science of beautiful and extraordinary geometric relationships. This book will awaken readers to the appeal of geometry by placing the focus squarely on geometry’s visually compelling features and intrinsic elegance.

Alfred S. Posamentier has published over sixty books in the area of mathematics and mathematics education.

Rights sold: Simplified Chinese

Prometheus March 2011 • 472 pages

Paperback 978 1 6161 4453 1 eBook 978 1 6159 2180 5

Science • Experiments & Projects

Rights sold: Simplified Chinese

Prometheus

September 2020 • 162 pages

Paperback 978 1 6338 8586 8 eBook 978 1 6338 8587 5

Mathematics • Geometry / General