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Bloomsbury USA

Quadrivium: The Four Classical Liberal Arts of Number, Geometry, Music, & Cosmology (Wooden Books)

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Description

The quadrivium-the classical curriculum-comprises the four liberal arts of number, geometry, music, and cosmology. It was studied from antiquity to the Renaissance as a way of glimpsing the nature of reality. Geometry is number in space; music is number in time; and cosmology expresses number in space and time. Number, music, and geometry are metaphysical truths: life across the universe investigates them; they foreshadow the physical sciences. Quadrivium is the first volume to bring together these four subjects in many hundreds of years. Composed of six successful titles in the Wooden Books series-Sacred Geometry, Sacred Number, Harmonograph, The Elements of Music, Platonic & Archimedean Solids, and A Little Book of Coincidence-it makes ancient wisdom and its astonishing interconnectedness accessible to us today. Beautifully produced in six different colors of ink, Quadrivium will appeal to anyone interested in mathematics, music, astronomy, and how the universe works. Wooden Books was founded in 1999 by designer John Martineau near Hay-on-Wye. The aim was to produce a beautiful series of recycled books based on the classical philosophies, arts and sciences. Using the Beatrix Potter formula of text facing picture pages, and old-styles fonts, along with hand-drawn illustrations and 19th century engravings, the books are designed not to date. Small but stuffed with information. Eco friendly and educational. Big ideas in a tiny space. There are over 1,000,000 Wooden Books now in print worldwide and growing. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury USA; 64437th edition (November 1, 2010)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 416 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0802778135


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 30


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.3 x 1.7 x 7.65 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #34,391 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #16 in Mathematics History #47 in Cosmology (Books) #75 in History & Philosophy of Science (Books)


#16 in Mathematics History:


#47 in Cosmology (Books):


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • QUADRIVIUM: ANTHOLOGY OF SOME OF THE GREATEST WOODEN BOOKS
I bought this book when it was released almost 11 yrs ago. IN SHORT: Quadrivium is about human intellect. How marvelously profound the world and universe is, especially through the mind's eye and creativity of our ancient forefathers. A BIT MORE INFO: (I'm not going to attempt to speak to nor about every subject or Wooden Book contained in this anthology. Just some thoughts. ) I have been studying sacred geometry, philosophy, comparative religion, and Eastern Philosophy (Kashmir Shaivism, tantra, four yoga, Vedanta, e.t.c) for over 30 years, and music theory for 40 years. I have all of the Wooden Books in this anthology (I preordered it when it was released not knowing it was an anthology of the majority of ingenius titles already offered by Wooden Books). An artist and musician by trade, before getting hit by a car and now virtually bedridden, I'm grateful for having access to most of Wooden Books greatest publications in this one anthology: Quadrivium. The cover design is magnificent. You can see what subjects will be discussed and taught from looking at the little symbols on the cover. Kudos to the art director. This is for serious seekers looking for the "secrets" of the universe-- actually, you'll find there are no secrets at all, simply shapes, fractals, vibrations (AUM), e.t.c, found within nature and art (obviously Fibonacci's Golden Mean); sounds (vibrations/ harmony/ micro tones), e.t.c., and what shape they take when studied and graphed, if you will. Quadrivium reveals the intellect of the men and women who discovered the "secrets" to this grand universe. The patterns. The simplicity within the grand scheme of things. There is peace within these patterns and shapes and discoveries. What looks like chaos is a well oiled machine, if you will. Quadrivium shows you this. The title says it all: it's a fantastic, in depth study of Quadrivium. Personally, after almost ten years, I use the singular publications more than this anthology. Not only because of size, but because each Wooden Book is a marvelous gem. Truly. A gift from each author. Simplistic and to the point. And the artwork and design of each small Wooden Book is as beautiful as the subjects being taught, studied, or showcased. Reading Quadrivium from front to back was a profound experience. There is a flow to everything; a pattern to nature that ancient man discovered-- from as far back as 5,000-8,000 BCE (Hindu mystics) to modern man. I have bought many artist, musician, and spiritual seekers, renunciates, agnostics, and atheists, this book. It truly is ecumenical. Science meets the ancient arts. The beauty of it is it showcases the brainpower and innate artistic, scientific, and musical genius of people from thousands of centuries ago. Although I study the works of ancient mystics from many cultures and time periods, I do enjoy how Wooden Books showcase, for example, Sacred Geometry not in mystic terms, but again, how man created some of the most beautiful architecture in history using only a straight edge, a most archaic compass, and a writing utensil. Think about this: from a point on a piece of paper, then horizontal line, several circles, triangles created from these circles and lines, and then a perfect square---without any form of measurements like inches and cm--- ancient philosophers/ thinkers/ architects created the Tree of Life and other sacred symbols, but they also used these simple drawings to create Notre Dame, the Great Pyramids, Gothic Architecture, Islamic Architecture. Pythagoras created a system of music. Quadrivium looks into the visual aspect of the this system, mapped out on paper based on vibrations, microtones, e.t.c. In all, Quadrivium is about human intellect. How marvelously profound the world and universe is, especially through the mind's eye and creativity of our ancient forefathers. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2020 by DLB
    • Amazing and beautiful book
Review Image by JOSE A DIAZ JOSE A DIAZ
It’s a masterpiece!
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2024 by JOSE A DIAZ JOSE A DIAZ
    • Gold
If you are interested in sacred geometry, numerology, the elements of music, or astrology, and especially if you are interested in the harmonic relationship between all these things, you will love this book. Even if you are just into math and sound, and want to know more about their philosophical roots, this is a great buy. It is a good compact, but thick size, with quality construction, and phenomenal illustrations. Wooden Books is a wonderful publisher, they seem to be very conscious of their environmental impact, and print on either fully recycled, or sustainably harvested materials. I have several of their smaller pocket books as well, and they are all little jewels chock full of great, on point nuggets of wisdom, and wonderful art that is relatively easy to understand and digest. I would recommend getting this book prior to any of the pocket books covering the same or similar subjects, as some of the pocket books are fully represented within the Quadrivium. I got the pocket books first, and then this one, to find much of the same information. I don't mind, though. It's nice to have the goods all in one bound copy. As a great lover and student of sacred geometry, I can't get enough of their books. Wooden Books is deft at bringing the mysteries to light. More, please! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2014 by Stephen Ross
    • Brilliant
I'm very excited to have this book in my collection. I have always gifted it but now it's MINE!
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2024 by Jacqueline
    • A Must Have! No joke this is a beautiful necessity!
This book is required. If you’re here questioning the buy, just purchase it and rest assured you should get 2. I had many of the individual books before I found the compendium. I will be buying this as gifts for my friends who are artists, hobbyist, craftsmen, thinkers, tradesman, I even want to send it to an architect but there’s no need to rub it in their faces that they are powerless in making the world better if we don’t all learn how to take back our minds. This book helps with that! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2023 by ecco
    • Pretty good, but a little too groovy
Full of awesome observations and inter-relations between things we normally do not think of as being connected. But slightly polluted by trying to be too "ooh, aaah" about it, and trying too hard to draw cosmic connections. Like a news article that reports the facts very well, then goes on to make whacky editorial comments. Specific example, the authors tend to hijack terms and use them for brand new things. "Epigram" and "epigrammatic" are frequently just mis-used. They just don't mean what they are used for here. In a poetic sense, sure, they make a spiritual sort of sense. But in general they make some statements sound silly. If the authors had avoided this tendency to want to appear "extra spiritually significant," the book would be twice as good. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2021 by Leslie Swan
    • The Science of ‘Woo-Woo’
The media could not be loaded. Quadrivium is filled with interesting facts & beautiful visual representations of the four liberal arts—numbers, geometry, music, & cosmology. It’s an illuminating, visual convergence of science, art & the ‘woo-woo’—more than a horoscope but less than a physics symposium. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2024 by shoparoundnfindout
    • Great product, Miranda Lundy is able to take these ...
Great product, Miranda Lundy is able to take these arts and reduce them down to their bare bones, what they functioned as in ancient times, how their functions have changed, and how you can understand them. I felt my education of some of these subjects was lacking so I took to ordering this book and studying myself, I have read a lot of it and it's a great read. Please note, some of wooden books are just sections taken out from this book, so before you order other books from them ensure that you aren't getting the same texts in this book. The writing is simply brilliant and she somehow makes the subjects I found dullest in school, actually interesting and relevant. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2017 by Steven Makar

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