Description
The second edition of On Growth and Form by D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson, in the publisher’s scarce dust jackets.
Octavo, [two volumes], [6], 464pp; [2], [465]-1116pp. Maroon cloth, title stamped in gilt on spine. Both fine examples, no internal marks or notations. Includes frontispiece in Volume I and hundreds of illustrations throughout. This work is the two-volume reissue of the second edition, which was first published in 1942. In the publisher’s “Second Edition” dust jackets, notable reinforcement to verso, large chips from both volumes, closed tears. Scarce dust jackets in any form.
On Growth and Form, written by the Scottish biologist D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson and first published in 1917, is a seminal work in the field of biology, emphasizing the role of physical and mathematical principles in shaping the forms of living organisms. Thompson’s work challenges the exclusively evolutionary explanations of the forms and structures of living beings by demonstrating how physical laws and patterns, such as the Fibonacci sequence or the principle of minimum energy, play a crucial role in biological growth and the development of form. Through extensive examples ranging from the shapes of jellyfish to the arrangement of plant leaves and the structure of animal skeletons, Thompson illustrated how mathematical patterns and physical forces influence biological processes. “On Growth and Form” is celebrated for bridging the gap between the sciences and the arts, inspiring fields beyond biology, including architecture, art, and engineering, by suggesting that the natural world can be understood through the laws of physics and mathematics.
