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Hidden Beauty: Microworlds Revealed [Hardcover]

France Bourely (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Book Description

Publication Date: Oct 1 2002
France Bourely takes the reader on a visual odyssey far beyond the reaches of the naked eye with her scanning electron microscope. She travels lunar landscapes on the back of an ant, explores secret valleys in orchid petals, scales the pistils of a daisy, crosses mountains made of pollen, discovers crevices on the back of a caterpillar and takes shelter under a bush of bristles. This volume reveals the microscopic dimension that surrounds us all.

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About the Author

France Bourely received her doctorate in pharmaceutical studies, graduating from universities in Paris, and Berkeley, California. Passionate about photography, it was at Berkeley that she first discovered the scanning electronic microscope, using it in her research into the origin of forms. Since 1994, she has applied her scientific knowledge to the art of the invisible, a largely unexplored and infinitely small territory. Winner of a Leitz photographic prize, her work has been shown in more than 25 exhibitions around the world. This is her first book. Mike Lopez-Alegria is an American astronaut.

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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning + Inspiring Sep 4 2003
By marti mcginnis
Format:Hardcover
Talking a tour through this book is every bit as exciting as exploring new realms. Ms. Bourley had carefully considered her career options and among them were astronaut. Then her focus (literally!) took an unexpected turn. She discovered the depths in the ordinary that surround us. Her travels far, far into inner worlds are amazing and truly uplifting. To see the symmetry and beauty of such teensy tiny wholly seperate beings and things is to speak to the wondrous possibilities of the simple (and even inspirational) joys in seeing not totally unfamiliar patterning on such a miniscule scale. I come away thinking "everything is significant.". The calm in that is worth the price of admission. Along the same lines is a movie entitled "Microcosms". I suggest you look for it. You'll like that, too.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, Visionary Book! Jan 30 2003
By Andrew Ilachinski
Format:Hardcover
As a physicist (by profession), and amateur photographer (in my free time) I must say that I have *never* encountered a finer example of a synergy of art and science (not to mention philosophy) displayed than what awaits the lucky reader who purchases this extraordinary book. Some of the images, on a purely aesthetic level, rank (in my humble opinion) with some of the great abstract photographs that have **ever** been taken! Indeed, I am tempted to equate what Dr. Bourely has accomplished here to what Ansel Adams accomplished for the American West with his magnificent large format photography. What Adams represents for the macroscopic world, Dr. Bourely represents for the microscopic one. She is *that* good...as a guide, as a scientist, as photographer, and as a visionary.

Quite simply this is one of the most beautiful books I've ever had the pleasure of owning and I shall treasure it for a long, long time to come. If you love photography, or science, or abstraction, or philosophy, or ever simply marvel at the ineffable mystery we call the universe, you owe it to yourself to get this book. It is destined to be a classic.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com: 5.0 out of 5 stars  3 reviews
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, Visionary Book! Jan 30 2003
By Andrew Ilachinski - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
As a physicist (by profession), and amateur photographer (in my free time) I must say that I have *never* encountered a finer example of a synergy of art and science (not to mention philosophy) displayed than what awaits the lucky reader who purchases this extraordinary book. Some of the images, on a purely aesthetic level, rank (in my humble opinion) with some of the great abstract photographs that have **ever** been taken! Indeed, I am tempted to equate what Dr. Bourely has accomplished here to what Ansel Adams accomplished for the American West with his magnificent large format photography. What Adams represents for the macroscopic world, Dr. Bourely represents for the microscopic one. She is *that* good...as a guide, as a scientist, as photographer, and as a visionary.

Quite simply this is one of the most beautiful books I've ever had the pleasure of owning and I shall treasure it for a long, long time to come. If you love photography, or science, or abstraction, or philosophy, or ever simply marvel at the ineffable mystery we call the universe, you owe it to yourself to get this book. It is destined to be a classic.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning + Inspiring Sep 4 2003
By marti mcginnis - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Talking a tour through this book is every bit as exciting as exploring new realms. Ms. Bourley had carefully considered her career options and among them were astronaut. Then her focus (literally!) took an unexpected turn. She discovered the depths in the ordinary that surround us. Her travels far, far into inner worlds are amazing and truly uplifting. To see the symmetry and beauty of such teensy tiny wholly seperate beings and things is to speak to the wondrous possibilities of the simple (and even inspirational) joys in seeing not totally unfamiliar patterning on such a miniscule scale. I come away thinking "everything is significant.". The calm in that is worth the price of admission. Along the same lines is a movie entitled "Microcosms". I suggest you look for it. You'll like that, too.
5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps my favorite book, ever Oct 15 2012
By Jared - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
I saw this book for the first time on a clearance rack. I picked it up and must have spent 20-30 minutes in complete awe. I didn't have my wallet so I left without buying it and came back the next day. Gone. I spent the next 2 years looking for it (couldn't remember the name). 30 book stores. Countless hours online searching. Finally found it at Hennessy and Ingells in Santa Monica. Worth every minute.

It really might be the most incredible photographic odyssey I've ever seen. It's just an absolutely brilliant piece of art. Hard to imagine how spectacular it is without seeing it. Stunning. Simply stunning.
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