The Mathematicians’ Library takes you through the pages of history, featuring groundbreaking works like Euclid’s Elements, Fibonacci’s Liber Abaci, Hilbert’s Foundations of Geometry, and Mandelbrot’s The Fractal Geometry of Nature. Each book offers a unique glimpse into how mathematics has shaped human civilization, guiding everything from transportation and commerce to art, science, and beyond.

Mathematics is the invisible force that governs our daily lives, influencing everything from the weather forecasts we trust to the technology we depend on. It has been a cornerstone of human progress, evolving through centuries of research, discovery, and collaboration across cultures. This book reveals that legacy by presenting works that have changed the way we understand our world, from ancient knowledge inscribed on clay tablets, the contributions of Babylonian, Greek, Roman, Chinese, Islamic, and Maya scholars, The Mathematicians’ Library offers unparalleled access to the greatest minds in mathematics-Plato, Pythagoras, Euclid, Hypatia, Galileo, Einstein, and more.

The Mathematicians’ Library is more than just a collection; it’s a journey through the intellectual milestones that have defined our understanding of the world. Whether you’re a scholar, a history enthusiast, or simply curious about the forces that shape our lives, this collection will captivate and inspire. Unlock the secrets of mathematics and discover the brilliance behind the numbers that rule our world.

Table of contents:
Introduction
The Origins of Mathematics
Prehistoric
The Global Evolution of Mathematics (Babylon, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, India, Islam, Maya, Medieval Europe)
The Scientific Revolution
Modern Mathematics
The Future
Bibliography
Index

Charles Darwin was driven to distraction by plant spirals, growing so exasperated that he once begged a friend to explain the mystery “if you wish to save me from a miserable death.” The legendary naturalist was hardly alone in feeling tormented by these patterns. Plant spirals captured the gaze of Leonardo da Vinci and became Alan Turing’s final obsession. This book tells the stories of the physicists, mathematicians, and biologists who found themselves magnetically drawn to Fibonacci spirals in plants, seeking an answer to why these beautiful and seductive patterns occur in botanical forms as diverse as pine cones, cabbages, and sunflowers.

Do Plants Know Math? takes you down through the centuries to explore how great minds have been captivated and mystified by Fibonacci patterns in nature. It presents a powerful new geometrical solution, little known outside of scientific circles, that sheds light on why regular and irregular spiral patterns occur. Along the way, the book discusses related plant geometries such as fractals and the fascinating way that leaves are folded inside of buds. Your neurons will crackle as you begin to see the connections. This book will inspire you to look at botanical patterns-and the natural world itself-with new eyes.

Featuring hundreds of gorgeous color images, Do Plants Know Math? includes a dozen creative hands-on activities and even spiral-plant recipes, encouraging readers to explore and celebrate these beguiling patterns for themselves.

‘Full of thought-provoking studies and animal observations’ – Booklist

‘Enlightening and entertaining’ – Publishers Weekly

The Hidden Genius of Animals: Every pet owner thinks their own dog, cat, fish or hamster is a genius. What makes CAN FISH COUNT? so exciting is the way it unveils just how widespread intelligence is in nature.

Pioneering psychologist Brian Butterworth describes the extraordinary numerical feats of all manner of species ranging from primates and mammals to birds, reptiles, fish and insects. Whether it’s lions deciding to fight or flee, frogs competing for mates, bees navigating their way to food sources, fish assessing which shoal to join, or jackdaws counting friends when joining a mob – every species shares an ability to count.

Homo Sapiens may think maths is our exclusive domain, but this book shows that every creature shares a deep-seated Darwinian ability to understand the intrinsic language of our universe: mathematics

CAN FISH COUNT? is that special sort of science book – a global authority in his field writing an anecdotally-rich and revelatory narrative which changes the way you perceive something we take for granted.

In The Maths That Made Us, Brooks reminds us of the wonders of numbers: how they enabled explorers to travel far across the seas and astronomers to map the heavens; how they won wars and halted the HIV epidemic; how they are responsible for the design of your home and almost everything in it, down to the smartphone in your pocket. His clear explanations of the maths that built our world, along with stories about where it came from and how it shaped human history, will engage and delight. From ancient Egyptian priests to the Apollo astronauts, and Babylonian tax collectors to juggling robots, join Brooks and his extraordinarily eccentric cast of characters in discovering how maths made us who we are today.

‘Full of thought-provoking studies and animal observations’ – Booklist

‘Enlightening and entertaining’ – Publishers Weekly

The Hidden Genius of Animals: Every pet owner thinks their own dog, cat, fish or hamster is a genius. What makes CAN FISH COUNT? so exciting is the way it unveils just how widespread intelligence is in nature.

Pioneering psychologist Brian Butterworth describes the extraordinary numerical feats of all manner of species ranging from primates and mammals to birds, reptiles, fish and insects. Whether it’s lions deciding to fight or flee, frogs competing for mates, bees navigating their way to food sources, fish assessing which shoal to join, or jackdaws counting friends when joining a mob – every species shares an ability to count.

Homo Sapiens may think maths is our exclusive domain, but this book shows that every creature shares a deep-seated Darwinian ability to understand the intrinsic language of our universe: mathematics

CAN FISH COUNT? is that special sort of science book – a global authority in his field writing an anecdotally-rich and revelatory narrative which changes the way you perceive something we take for granted.