pGoethe called color the deeds and sufferings of the light--victorious deeds when it pierces matter and suffering when it endures the darkness in matter. Indeed, there is no greater contrast in the whole cosmos than that between matter and light.p pWalter B hler was left with unforgettable memories after spending time above the Arctic Circle in Lapland, where the sky fills with floods of color, the midnight sun shines for weeks, and the long polar night is brightened by the shining northern lights. Pondering on these experiences led to this short, penetrating work--a study of the pathways and metamorphoses of light from a global perspective.p pThe essence of light is to shine it radiates dynamically in all directions at an unimaginable speed, never resting. The nature of matter, by contrast, is heavy, static, and condensed. Nevertheless, matter can also let light through, as with crystals or in the transparent and flowing element of water, evaporation, and air. Water and air thus act a