3 Points and a Question

1. I had never, ever heard of the golden section before in my life. It is a ratio that apparently has been used for quite a while and its formula is a:b = b: (a+b). The text describes this formula as to mean that "the smaller of two elements (such as the side of a rectangle) relates to the larger element in the same way that the larger element relates to the two parts combined. In other words, side a is to side b as side b is to the sum of both sides."

2. A modular grid has horizontal divisions from top to bottom and vertical divisions from left to right.

3. "Cheap stuff is usually cheap because of how it's made, what it's made of, and who made it. Buy better quality goods, less often." This bit of advice is well received, especially from a thrifty person such as myself.

Question: I'm having trouble understanding the golden section. Maybe I'm just jumping the gun because formulas make me nervous and I hate math-related stuff. Hopefully the presenters will explain this concept to the class.