Kinko Tsuji

Stefan C. Müller

This richly illustrated book explores the fascinating and ubiquitous occurrence of spirals and vortices in human culture and in nature. Spiral forms have been used as elements in the arts for thousands of years, whereas their role in nature and science – from DNA and sea shells to galaxies – is still a topic of investigation in numerous fields. Following an introduction to the cultural history of spiral forms, the book presents contributions from leading experts, who describe the origins, mechanisms and dynamics of spirals and vortices in their special fields. As a whole the book provides a valuable source of information, while also taking the reader on an aesthetic and scientific journey through the world of spiral forms.

In Culture, Nature, and Science

Spirals and Vortices

So mancher Pfad - weithin unbekannt oder nur wenig begangen - will noch erkundet werden. Die hier zusammengestellten Geschichten erzählen von abenteuerlichen Reisen in verschiedene Länder, wo sich solche Pfade finden lassen. Seien es Fjorde und Berge in Norwegens Süden oder polare Gefilde im hohen Norden Skandinaviens; Felswände in Yosemite in der Sierra Nevada oder Indianerreservate in Saskatchewan und South Dakota; eine Durchquerung Südamerikas von den Anden in Peru und Bolivien zum Amazonas-Dschungel in Brasilien; zu Besuch bei Bewohnern im Zentrum von Neu-Guinea oder auf den Spuren der indischen Sultane in Madhya Pradesh. Die einzelnen Autoren beschreiben ihre Reisen in anschaulicher Weise, unterstützt von ihren eigenen Bildern bemerkenswerter Motive. Dabei ist der Text mit Einwürfen über Land und Leute, besondere Traditionen, aber auch über aktuelle Probleme in Umwelt, sozialem Gefüge und politische Auseinandersetzungen durchsetzt. Einige Beobachtungen verdienen spezielle Beachtung: scheue, aber hungrige Polarfüchse im Nirgendwo von Lappland, Flugreise in Bolivien mit 28 halbierten Rinderleibern, Empfang vom mumifizierten Großvater in Wamena (Neu-Guinea) u. a. m. Aber das kann man dann nachlesen! There are many paths - mostly unknown and only rarely entered - that still want to be explored. The stories collected here tell us about adventurous travels to different countries, where one can find such paths. Be it fjords and mountains in the South of Norway or polar regions in the far North of Scandinavia; rock faces in Yosemite in the Sierra Nevada or reservations for American Natives in Saskatchewan and South Dakota; traversing South America from the Andes in Peru and Bolivia to t Amazon rainforest; visiting inhabitants and local tribes of central New-Guinea or following the traces of Indian sultans in Madhya Pradesh. The individual authors describe their travels in a vivid way, supported by their own photographs of remarkable objects and scenes. The text is permeated with inserts about land and people, noticeable traditions, and also with actual problems in terms of environment, social structure and political debates. Some observations deserve special attention: hungry polar foxes out of nowhere in Lapland, air travel in Bolivia with 28 halves of slaughtered cows, reception by the mummified grandfather in Wamena (New-Guinea), and more... But all this can be read in the book!

Kinko Tsuji

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