This gently guided, profusely illustrated Grand Tour of the world mathematics takes the reader on a long and fascinating journey - from the dual invention of numbers and language, through the primary realms of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus, to the final destination of differential equations, with excursions into symbolic logic, set theory, topology, fractals, probability, and assorted other mathematical byways.

Mathematics: From the Birth of Numbers is unique among popular books on mathematics in combining an engaging, easy-to-read history of the subject with a comprehensive mathematical survey text. Intended, in the author's words, "for the benefit of those who never studied the subject, those who think they have forgotten what they once learned, and those with a sincere desire for more knowledge," it links mathematics to the humanities, linguistics, the natural sciences, and technology.