The Maths That Made Us : How Numbers Created Civilisation

In The Maths That Made Us, Brooks reminds us of the wonders of numbers: how they enabled explorers to travel far across the seas and astronomers to map the heavens; how they won wars and halted the HIV epidemic; how they are responsible for the design of your home and almost everything in it, down to the smartphone in your pocket. His clear explanations of the maths that built our world, along with stories about where it came from and how it shaped human history, will engage and delight. From ancient Egyptian priests to the Apollo astronauts, and Babylonian tax collectors to juggling robots, join Brooks and his extraordinarily eccentric cast of characters in discovering how maths made us who we are today.

About the author

I hold a PhD in quantum physics, but work as an author, journalist and broadcaster, a consultant at New Scientist magazine, co-host (with Rick Edwards) of the Science(ish) podcast and the author of numerous books, including the bestselling non-fiction title 13 Things That Don't Make Sense. Fun fact: I was the first person to be tasered in the UK

• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.08 x 0.8 x 7.8 inches