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Review ------ "Mazur (Euclid in the Rainforest) gives readers the fascinating history behind the mathematical symbols we use, and completely take for granted, every day. Mathematical notation turns numbers into sentences--or, to the uninitiated, a mysterious and impenetrable code. Mazur says the story of math symbols begins some 3,700 years ago, in ancient Babylon, where merchants incised tallies of goods on cuneiform s, along with the first place holder--a blank space. Many early cultures used letters for both numbers and an alphabet, but convenient objects like rods, fingers, and abacus beads, also proved popular. Mazur shows how our 'modern' system began in India, picking up the numeral 'zero' on its way to Europe, where it came into common use in the 16th century, thanks to travelers and merchants as well as mathematicians like Fibonacci. Signs for addition, subtraction, roots, and equivalence followed, but only became standardized through the influence of scientists and mathematicians like René Detes and Gottfried Leibniz. Mazur's lively and accessible writing makes what could otherwise be a dry, arcane history as entertaining as it is informative." (Publishers Weekly) "[A] fascinating narrative. . . . This is a nuanced, intelligently framed chronicle packed with nuggets--such as the fact that Hindus, not Arabs, introduced Arabic numerals. In a word: enlightening."---George Szpiro, Nature "Mazur begins by illustrating how the ancient Incas and Mayans managed to write specific, huge numbers. Then, for more than 200 pages, he traces the history of division signs, square roots, pi, exponents, graph axes and other symbols in the context of , communication, and analysis." (Washington Post) "Mazur delivers a solid exposition of an element of mathematics that is fundamental to its history." (Library Journal) "Mazur treats only a subset of F. Cajori's monumental A History of Mathematical Notation (Dover, 1993 first edition 1922) and there is overlap with many other mathematical history books, but Mazur adds new findings and ins and it is so much more entertaining . . . and these features make it an interesting addition to the existing literature for anybody with only a slight interest in mathematics or its history." (European Mathematical Society) "Symbols like '+' and '=' are so ingrained that it's hard to conceive of math without them. But a new book, Enlightening Symbols: A Short History of Mathematical Notation and its Hidden Power, offers a surprising reminder: Until the early 16th century, math contained no symbols at all."---Kevin Hartnett, Boston Globe "Enlightening Symbols retraces the winding road that has led to the way we now teach, study, and conceive mathematics. . . . Thanks to Mazur's playful approach to the subject, Enlightening Symbols offers an enjoyable read."---Gaia Donati, Science "If you enjoy reading about history, languages and science, then you'll enjoy this book. . . . The best part is the writing is compelling enough that you don't have to be a mathematician to enjoy this informative book."---Guardian.com's, GrrlScientist "[I]nformative, highly readable and scholarly."---Brian Rotman, Literary Review "[T]his inful account of the historical development of a highly characteristic feature of the mathematical enterprise also represents a valuable contribution to our understanding of the nature of mathematics."---Eduard Glas, Mathematical Reviews Clippings Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) From the Inside Flap -------------------- "This book provides an inful synthesis of the historical and mental revolutions that created humanity's most useful symbols--mathematical expressions."--Stanislas Dehaene, author ofReading in the Brain "Mathematical symbols are much more than squiggles on paper--they serve as potent sources of in into a wonderfully complex language. In this book, Joseph Mazur takes us on a fascinating journey into the origins of these symbols. You cannot ask for a better guide."--Mario Livio, astrophysicist and author of Brilliant Blunders "Joseph Mazur teaches us that the history of mathematical notation is the history of human civilization."--Kenneth A. Ribet, University of California, Berkeley "In this thoughtful, entertaining, and carefully researched book, Mazur lays out the development of the mathematical notations and symbols that we take for granted. He offers a fascinating look at the history of the conventions of writing mathematical ideas, and shows how important our choice of conventions has been for the growth of mathematical knowledge."--Emily R. Grosholz, author ofRepresentation and Productive Ambiguity in Mathematics and the Sciences "Worldwide, mathematicians speak a common symbolic language. Mazur traces how symbols developed and gradually took hold, uniting arithmetic, algebra, and geometry to give us metaphors as powerful as those of poems. A fascinating history!"--Philip Holmes, coauthor of Celestial Encounters "A curiosity cabinet of mathematical gems, curated by Joseph Mazur's cosmopolitan good taste."--Siobhan Roberts, author ofWind Wizard "Enlightening Symbols explains the origins of symbols used in mathematics. But this fun book is so much more than this. Filled with interesting stories, captivating material, and delightful observations, it offers readers a better understanding of the nature of mathematics and a wonderful overview of mathematical history."--Dominic Klyve, Central Washington University "An enjoyable and informative tour of mathematics history, Enlightening Symbols describes how our modern system of notation led to the abstraction we work with today. This is an important and interesting story."--Anna Pierrehumbert, Trinity School Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) See all Editorial Reviews ( /dp/product-description/0691154635/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books&isInIframe=0 )