Number: From Ancient Civilisations to the Computer - Tapa blanda

De la contraportada

In this lucid and accessible book, John McLeish reveals the fascinating history of mankind’s struggle to shape the world through numbers. Demonstrating how the ability to calculate underpins all human endeavour, 'Number' encompasses a vast historical and geographical span, tracing mathematical advances across the globe from the earliest times to the present day. From Sumeria and Babylon to ancient China, from Moghul India to the native cultures of Central and North America, from the Valley of the Kings to Silicon Valley, from the Mayan calendar to the pocket calculator, this enlightening study gives an oblique and unconventional view of the cultural richness and diversity of human civilisation.

‘Charming, intriguing and fascinating.’
THE TIMES

‘John McLeish knows how to make maths amusing. To read his explanation of the Mayan 'qui-pu' bead-strings, or the ancient Babylonians’ algorithms based on sixty, is rather like listening to strains of rare music. His culturally comparative approach is provocative… a liberating, broad-minded history.’
INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

‘One of the delightful features of McLeish’s book is that he spells out in comprehensible detail how each culture performed its mathematical calculations, and this alone makes the book worth buying. Lively and completely fascinating.’
TIMES EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT

‘Enjoyable provocative’
OBSERVER