Zero : The Biography of a Dangerous Idea

Excellent book. It gives knowledge of the beauty of mathematics.

The first half of the book was simply amazing, clear and followed a story telling pattern. The book soon introduced some very complex concepts which are not easy to grasp and therefore seemed like a stretch but still the book was able to involve me till the end. All in all of if you have a bit of a geeky side, you might like this book

Cool!

The book takes you in the realm of nothingness of cosmos and its infinite vastness, concurrently. You may be thinking that I am out of my mind ; I am not, the book really takes you to such realm. Zero , Cipher or Sifer or Sunya is the vehicle that takes you to this realm. This realm is a reality of our universe.

Though main focus of the book is Zero - how humankind reached to its concept, its importance in solving crises of concepts faced by scientific society, the book vividly depicts how it helped development of science afterwards and its scope in future. The language is lucid and the way of story telling is captivating. This book is not written for scientists but for the general reader. Persons who are afraid of mathematics, I am sure, also will enjoy this book.

First things first—Neither I am a mathematician, nor I particularly like the subject. I read it just because I felt fascinated by the scope of the book. So don’t be put off by the mathematics side of the book, it is not that loaded, and in case you do come across such a part, you can skip it or reread it depending upon your relation with maths. An intriguing book which tracks the journey of Zero and presence of Zero in anything and everything—from infinity to civilizations to history to philosophy to quantum mechanics—how zero shaped these different fields. You will read how a simple idea—a Zero—is at heart of almost everything and yet how our ancestors survived without it for many years. You will read how west saw it and how east saw it. What this innocuous digit tells us and what infinities it beholds in its lap.

An interesting read and as you read, if you could take some time to research on historical events & figures mentioned that would make it more interesting.

One of the most forceful books of 21st century, written honestly and with the evidence at hand.

The humour amid the facts, the light touch on mathematical areas, and the easy flow of information make this book a delight to read. Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea is an enjoyable memory trip. Without realizing it you are being reminded of the history you knew about zero from Pythagoras and Aristotle to Babylonia up to today ; the importance of zero's inclusion in our number system, the leadership and presence off the 60-base number system even in to-day's world with 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour,, and 360 degrees in a circle; and the sway of philosophy and government in repressing or supporting mathematical achievements. I look forward to Charles Seife's treatment of other mathematical hills and valleys of knowledge ... the calendar, the calculator, the computer, robotics, ....

I was looking for a history book, and it got to thecnical for my liking. Not really an easy read.

As the title suggests ( and it's written by a mathematician so, although filled with humour, it's very sticking to the point ) this is the biography of how Zero went from non-being important to becoming ( at least according to the author ) an all-important matter. Gotta warn you though: the guy takes this Zero thing very seriously, as far as making fun of ( almost ) the whole of humanity, including his former mathematician colleagues.

The way the book ties the concept of Zero across so many disciplines; cultures, discoveries- etc. Fascinating book _ One of a kind

This book was really good. I just read a newspaper article and read about the Casimir effect, which was conveyed to me through the book. I never thought in my life that a book in the math history category could convey as much as this book did for me. Of course, reading about the disciples of Pythagoras can seem very dry to some, but you should stick with it anyway, as it really is food for thought.