In his preface, Needham uses a parable to explain the book's existence:
: Even veteran mathematicians have noted that the book provides fresh insights into classical fields they thought they already knew. Visual Complex Analysis - Hardcover - Tristan Needham Visual Complex Analysis
: Imagine a society where everyone is required to learn musical scores but is strictly forbidden from ever listening to or performing music. In his preface, Needham uses a parable to
: To bring the "majestic and powerful" subject of complex analysis to life using over 500 diagrams that replace opaque computations with direct visual access to mathematical reality. A Parable of Forbidden Music In his preface