This book purports to be a history of how the concept of symmetry was developed. In reality, it is a mish-mash of numerous ideas from math and physics, with the discussion of symmetry often appearing as an after-thought. To be fair, Stewart is able to convey the beauty of numerous mathematical ideas, such as octonions, and how these ideas can be linked to symmetry. On the other hand, this book also hops, skips and jumps from subject to subject (e.g. group theory; quadratic equations; quaternions; quantum mechanics; theory of relativity; string theory, e.g.) without tying them together into a coherent narrative. The result is a collection of fascinating topics, but no clear focus, and only a loose connection to what's supposed to be the main thesis, namely, a discussion on the history of symmetry.
2 1/2 out of 5 stars
