Patterns in the universe

This is John Michell’s last book, completed soon before he died in April last year. He regarded it as his magnum opus, summarising the principles of geometry that had preoccupied him for decades. I knew him for 25 years, but not until I read this book did I realise how coherent his vision had been, linking together archaeology, Platonic philosophy, mythology, art, cosmology and prophecy.

Michell’s central theme is the geometrical order underlying the world, but he makes no claim to absolute truth, nor does he expect to find it in science:

Michell’s many watercolour diagrams show fundamental geometrical principles, such as the relation of the circle to the square and the golden section. He explains in words and pictures the principles of sacred geometry, widely recognised in ancient civilizations and in the Bible. He also explores the geometry of the numbers 2 to 12, showing how each has its own qualities, properties and pattern of relationships.