Are Numbers Real?: The Uncanny Relationship of Mathematics and the Physical World

"A lighthearted yet far-reaching look at the history of numbers and how we use them." —Publishers Weekly

Have you ever wondered what humans did before numbers existed? How they organized their lives, traded goods, or kept track of their treasures? What would your life be like without them?

Numbers began as simple representations of everyday things, but mathematics rapidly took on a life of its own, occupying a parallel virtual world. In Are Numbers Real?, Brian Clegg explores the way that ...