Man And Number: An Account Of The Development Of Man's Use Of Number Through The Ages
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Wear and tear with damage
Pages: Tanning and foxing
Markings: Previous owner
Long before the elegance of algebra or the precision of calculus, humanity's relationship with number began as a raw, urgent necessity — to count livestock, measure land, and track the passage of seasons. Man and Number chronicles this extraordinary intellectual journey, tracing the evolution of numerical thought from the earliest tally marks scratched by prehistoric hands to the sophisticated mathematical systems of the ancient and modern worlds. Donald Smeltzer presents a richly detailed account that is accessible yet rigorous, drawing on evidence from archaeology, linguistics, and the history of civilisations to reconstruct how different cultures independently conceived of, and communicated with, number. Smeltzer's work stands as a landmark contribution to the popular history of mathematics, weaving together anthropology, cultural history, and scientific thought into a single, compelling narrative. His prose is measured and authoritative, reflecting his background as a lecturer in education, yet it carries an infectious enthusiasm for its subject that elevates the work beyond dry scholarship. Broader themes of human ingenuity, cross-cultural exchange, and the universality of mathematical reasoning run throughout, culminating in a portrait of number not merely as a tool, but as one of humanity's most profound and enduring creations. For anyone who has ever wondered why we count the way we do, the answer begins here.
Author: Donald Smeltzer
Format: Hardback
Published: 1963, Adam and Charles Black
Genre: Mathematics
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Wear and tear with damage
Pages: Tanning and foxing
Markings: Previous owner
Long before the elegance of algebra or the precision of calculus, humanity's relationship with number began as a raw, urgent necessity — to count livestock, measure land, and track the passage of seasons. Man and Number chronicles this extraordinary intellectual journey, tracing the evolution of numerical thought from the earliest tally marks scratched by prehistoric hands to the sophisticated mathematical systems of the ancient and modern worlds. Donald Smeltzer presents a richly detailed account that is accessible yet rigorous, drawing on evidence from archaeology, linguistics, and the history of civilisations to reconstruct how different cultures independently conceived of, and communicated with, number. Smeltzer's work stands as a landmark contribution to the popular history of mathematics, weaving together anthropology, cultural history, and scientific thought into a single, compelling narrative. His prose is measured and authoritative, reflecting his background as a lecturer in education, yet it carries an infectious enthusiasm for its subject that elevates the work beyond dry scholarship. Broader themes of human ingenuity, cross-cultural exchange, and the universality of mathematical reasoning run throughout, culminating in a portrait of number not merely as a tool, but as one of humanity's most profound and enduring creations. For anyone who has ever wondered why we count the way we do, the answer begins here.