Number The language of science

This book is a republication of the classic 1954 edition of the same title. Dantzig describes the ongoing evolution of the number concept, an idea different from counting, and accomplishes this feat by using a storytelling style. He explains how the number concept is intertwined with the history of human culture. The discussion includes a clear account of mathematical foundations and related philosophical notions. Dantzig chronicles with clarity the mathematical contributions of a multitude of individuals and societies over thousands of years. Further, he delineates the concept and history of many different types of numbers, including algebraic numbers, complex numbers, integers, irrationals, ordinals, primes, transcendentals, and transfinite numbers. The readability is enhanced by more than 15 illustrations and numerous tables. The changes between this edition and the 1954 edition are editorial in nature. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers; lower-division undergraduates through professionals. Copyright 2005 American Library Association.

First published in 1930, Dantzig's title presents the human side of math, theorizing that the evolution of numbers is directly linked to advances in human culture, economics, etc. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Einstein himself praised this fascinating work on numbers, which was first published in 1930, then revised and expanded through the 1954 4th ed. reprinted here with a foreword by Barry Mazur (Harvard U.) and a brief preface by his brother Joseph Mazur (Marlboro College). The story is written for the general reader and conveys in simple, clear language, with many examples and quotes, the great and profound meaning that lies behind the human invention of numbers and math by showing their relation to human knowledge and experience of all kinds. New endnotes and an annotated bibliography have been added. Dantzig, who died in 1956, taught mathematics at Johns Hopkins, Columbia U., and the U. of Maryland. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)