The Secret Lives of Numbers: A Hidden History of Math's Unsung Trailblazers

This book is devoted to the development of significant and important mathematical concepts, the full history of which has been long neglected or forgotten in the interest of promulgating a Eurocentric perspective. Perhaps not surprisingly, many of the persons involved were women, who, in spite of their accomplishments, were underpaid, under-recognized, or outright ignored, with their achievements being claimed by others.

The authors have a breezy style that stays engaging without getting into the nitty-gritty of the pure math involved. To me, the most interesting chapters involved the development of calculus, to which they credit neither Newton nor Leibniz. Rather, they report, calculus was advanced in India in the 14th century by a show more mathematician named Madhava. Similarly, they explain that binary notation has roots in the traditional hexagrams of the Chinese Book of Changes.

All in all, the book is an eye-opening account from which the reader will learn a little (but not a great deal of) math and a lot of engrossing history. On a meta level, the book shows how the achievements of non-Western cultures are consistently denigrated or ignored - a useful reminder that any one history is only partial, likely reflecting the cultural influences and biases of the author, and should be supplemented by books with other perspectives for a full understanding of the past.

(JAB) show less

This is a more inclusive look at all the people who have contributed to mathematics throughout history. While there are many gaps in the history without the white men this tries to stay away from, it highlights how people from all demographics are capable of mathematical genius with the right environment and resources, something usually only available to white men historically.

"The Secret Lives of Numbers: A Hidden History of Mathematics," by Kitagawa and Revell, explores the background of various advancements in mathematics and those who were involved in developing them. Overall, I found the book interesting (perhaps that's the math nerd in me), but there were points at which the progression seemed to slow more than I would have lliked.