Who knew elegance required creativity? Matthew May reveals that “simple” is not always synonymous with “easy,” but the outcome is worth it. He shares a variety of truly elegant solutions found in nature, art, business, and more, each of which demonstrates four important traits: symmetry, subtraction, seduction, and sustainability. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between each of these characteristics, but his overall message is clear.
The four S’s are hardly a recipe for perfection, but they offer a springboard for problem solving. May explains that the first ideas we think of often are not the most elegant, and we need to think beyond the obvious to arrive at an “Aha!” moment. Readers should be aware that this is less of a how-to book and instead one from which to draw inspiration. With that in mind, I really appreciated the different scenarios May presents and enjoyed trying my own hand at crafting elegance.