Much in our daily lives is defined in numerical terms-from the moment we wake in the morning and look at the clock to dialing a phone or paying a bill. But what exactly is a number? When did man begin to count and record numbers? Who made the first calculating machine-and when? At what point did people first think of solving problems by equations? These and many other questions about numbers are answered in this engrossing, clearly written book.Written for general readers by a teacher of...