Branches: Nature's Patterns, A Tapestry in Three Parts

This is the third in a series of books (the last two have been reviewed in earlier issues) about patterns in nature. Branching and interconnection are found throughout nature, for instance in snowflakes, trees, rivers and crystals; and many patterns of fractal, recurring at many scales. The book examines the underlying principles that produce such patterns or moulding factors that shape the world, revealing striking parallels between different phenomena. The six chapters discuss different aspects of branching, beginning with the nature of the snowflake and moving through water, trees, leaves and web worlds. The result is a fascinating tour. Like the other two books, I feel that the study could have been produced in a different and more attractive format with more illustrations in colour and fewer black-and-white diagrams.