Number: From Ancient Civilisations to the Computer by John McLeish

Number: From Ancient Civilisations to the Computer by John McLeish This book is USED (not new) Condition: - cover worn, Format: Publisher: Texas Bookman : , 1991, ISBN: 9780006544845 / 0006544843 Dimensions: 12.9cm x 1.7cm x 19.81cm, 272 pages SKU: 5422x - We use NZ Post overnight for delivery so please allow 1-5 days for delivery - If you would like to see more photos of the book, ask a question and we'll add them Book Description: "Number" reassesses conventional views of civilization. It seeks to challenge, provoke and fascinate as it takes the mystery out of the world of number. Ranging from prehistoric times through the world's main civilizations, John McLeish demonstrates that one of the main skills which marks out humans from animals is their ability to calculate. We visit the bed-chambers of the Chinese Emperor as his officials allocate his bed-mate according to a strict mathematical rota. We get to know the people who have shaped numbers - world famous mathematicians such as Pythagoras and Newton, and the lesser known Greek woman mathematician Hypatia who was martyred for her views on logic. The book also looks at the development of the computer and the people behind it, and reassesses today's society in terms of the numbers which rule our lives.