The Mandala Book: Patterns of the Universe

I don't usually give reviews on books. Having said that, this is a beautifully written book with basic but informative text about sacred geometry, the golden ratio, Phi as well as the natural laws of the universe and how those laws apply to the most basic of life forms on our planet. It is beautifully illustrated with wonderful, high quality color photographs in simple and easy to understand terms. It is sectioned into the varied shapes that make up our natural world: circles, squares, triangles, hexagons, spirals, waves and so on. The beauty of the mandala as it is birthed from each of these building blocks is gradually revealed in an interesting and inspiring format that illustrates how the Mandala is everywhere in our natural world if we only take the time to notice. It is side-complimented with quotes from famous philosophers, poets, inventors etc., and it is a wonderful edition to my personal library. I am inspired to begin creating mandalas! I definitely recommend this book for everyone, including children and especially to intuitive artists such as myself. I am very pleased I purchased it and thank you, Lori Bailey Cunningham! You did a wonderful job with this book.

Initially, I just thought it'd be a book with pretty pictures. Yes; it does have gorgeously breathtaking pictures, but this book is much more than just a coffee-table book. It goes through the many ideals and philosophies behind the mandala as an art form. It covers the religions that have used mandalas; how the mandala is a symbolic representation of you, others, and the Universe; the shapes that are used in mandalas and what they represent.The book goes through chapters; from an introduction to mandalas, to understanding the concept of mandalas; to teaching readers about the symbolism surrounding different shapes- from different types of circles, to the dyad, to the triangle, and square, and pentagon, and hexagon... It then wraps up with patterns that can be found in nature. Finally, there's an afterword, and the book ends with drawings of examples of mandala patterns.I'm also really glad that it is a hard-cover book because I know I'll be referencing to this book many more times in the future. With a whole 297 pages of knowledge and pictures, I'm sure you'll find value within this book. This is a wonderful book to buy if you'd like to learn more about mandalas; if you're a zentangle artist that is looking for inspiration; if you're a spiritual artist or someone who uses a lot of symbolism within your work; and even if you're not an artist, the images and ideas within this book are worth a buy.I made a video of me flipping through the book here:http://www.everythingis-art.com/2014/10/themandalabook.html

I have to regress for a minute and tell you I am new to mandalas, but I researched many books before deciding which books I could use as tools to help me understand the world around me better. I think I am a pretty observant person, but I have found in reading this book and another that mandalas have made me more aware of how I have looked at things and how I can improve myself and my life. It's a process that I'm enjoying while incorporating some of the thoughts Lori Bailey Cunningham included in this book. The photos are beautiful and she open your eyes to understanding mandalas and seeing them all around you in your everyday life. This is not a coloring book but a palette of life to be used along with your meditation practice. Consider this book as a history lesson into a world for a broader visual advantage! Another book I will suggest with it is the "Mandala Sourcebook 150 mandalas to help you find peace, awareness, & well-being by David Fontana & Lisa Tenzin-Dolma." These two books are both different approaches to looking at mandalas, but they compliment each other. Two purchases that I really enjoy having.

What a great find and a labor of love! Years ago, I taught a drawing class that highlighted fractals, Mandelbrot set, Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Mean and found that the text and examples expanded my understanding. The images are of the highest quality and the content is well researched. This book expanded my knowledge of the miraculous world of nature we live in and inspired me to create mandalas in my design projects.

This is a very informative, interesting book that introduced me to mandalas and how to see them in everyday items, plants and all the designs in nature.

I accidentally saw I was getting this before Christmas and thought from the glimpsed cover that it would be just mandalas. It’s much more than that. It’s full of lovely pictures and accompanying chapters about various patterns and numbers in nature and the visual world in general. Right up my alley. So for not being surprised I very happily was.

Nice

This nice sized Hardcover book is full of amazing images of Mandalas and interesting tidbits about what they truly are and what inspires them. Nature is awash with them as is everything that surrounds us really.Great visuals, so those who love to view beautiful images will much enjoy this volume. And the information and text was very interesting as well. I am sure that even my husband, who's not a big reader, will enjoy leafing through the pages.