By Nature's Design

by Pat Murphy and William Neill

Published 1 September 1993
The beauty and symmetry of the natural world come alive in this inspired collaboration between acclaimed nature photographer William Neill and San Francisco's famous hands-on science museum, the Exploratorium. Exquisite, full-color photographs unveil the secret blueprints of nature often overlooked by the casual observer: the spiral forms that appear in seashells, spiderwebs, and the heart of a daisy; the hexagons found in honeycombs and cracking mud. Through its captivating photographic content and accessible scientific examination. "By Nature's Design" reaveals the order, economy, and elegance of nature's diverse forms in an engaging volume that will fascinate and inform art and nature lovers alike.

Color of Nature

by Pat Murphy and Paul Doherty

Published 1 September 1996
Why is the sky blue and the grass green? What are the colorful secrets of the enigmatic aurora borealis or the ethereal shimmer of a soap bubble? From San Francisco's Exploratorium, the acclaimed hands-on museum behind the best-selling Explorabook, comes The Color of Nature, which delves into these and other intriguing questions. Extraordinary photographs and an engaging text illustrate the fascinating phenomena behind the myriad colors that make up our world -- from moon bows to mandrills, chameleons to hydrangeas. This remarkable volume will fire the imagination of anyone with a passion for nature, science, or photography.

Traces of Time

by Pat Murphy, Paul Doherty, and William Neill

Published 1 September 2000
Nature tells stories that unfold over time, and the evidence is all around us--in the shape of a rugged coastline, in the growth of a tree's rings, in the beautiful banded strata of an ice cave. The latest book from The Exploratorium, San Francisco's acclaimed hands-on science museum, combines William Neill's award-winning photography with accessible scientific observation to illuminate an ever-changing world. Examining nature in segments of time ranging from a fraction of a second to millions of years, from the bloom of a plant to the carving of a canyon, Traces of Time reveals how to measure the forces of nature and the ways they affect our planet. A powerful portrait of the natural beauty of our world, this gorgeous blending of art, science, and photography offers a new perspective to anyone who has ever gazed at the world in wonder.