Pythagoras: His Lives and the Legacy of a Rational Universe - Softcover

Kitty Ferguson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1848312318 ISBN 13: 9781848312319

Publisher: Icon Books, 2011

Synopsis

The enthralling story of Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans, whose insight transformed the ancient world and still inspire the realms of science, mathematics, philosophy and the arts. Einstein said that the most incredible thing about our universe was that it was comprehensible at all. As Kitty Ferguson explains in this eye-opening new book, Pythagoras had much the same idea - but 2,500 years earlier. Though many know him only for the so-called Pythagorean theorem, in fact the pillars of our scientific tradition - the belief that the universe is rational, that there is unity to all things, and that numbers and mathematics are a powerful guide to truth about nature and the cosmos - hark back to the convictions of this legendary scholar and his ancient followers. Alongside the poignant human saga, Kitty Ferguson brilliantly evokes Pythagoras' ancient world, showing how his ideas spread in antiquity and in the Middle Ages, and chronicles the incredible influence he and his followers have had

About this title

About the Author:

Kitty Ferguson was born in San Antonio, Texas. She now divides her time between New Jersey and Cambridge, UK. An experienced science writer, her previous books include Stephen Hawking: Quest for a Theory of Everything

Review:

``Pythagoras' does two things exceptionally well. It provides a magnificent grand tour of the history of mathematics and how it has shaped our understanding of the universe. And it provides deep insight into how the West has manufactured and maintains its Greek roots. This makes it a valuable and inspiring read.' -- Ziauddin Sardar, Independent

About this edition

• Publisher: Icon Books
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1848312318
• ISBN 13: 9781848312319
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368