A fascinating tour, seamlessly spliced and historically contexualised ? NatureIan Stewart elegantly reviews the uncanny effectiveness of mathematics in explaining the universe... Mr. Stewart beautifully describes how Newton's laws can still produce surprising results. ? Wall Street JournalThe book does an excellent job of both explaining and entertaining. The author makes you think about familiar subjects in a new way and is very good at filling in any gaps in your knowledge, while also pointing out those areas that need further research ? Sky at Night MagazineWith captivating stories and his signature clarity, Ian Stewart shows us how math makes the world - and the rest of the universe - go round -- Steven Strogatz, Professor of Mathematics, Cornell University, and author of The Joy of XStewart is Britain's most brilliant and prolific populariser of maths. -- Alex BellosStewart is sure to please math lovers, history buffs, and science enthusiasts alike by covering an array of eras, innovators, and disciplines. ? Publishers Weekly

Praise for previous books: 'This is not pure maths. It is maths contaminated with wit, wisdom, and wonder. Ian really is unsurpassed as raconteur of the world of numbers. He guides us on a mind-boggling journey from the ultra trivial to the profound. Thoroughly entertaining

? New ScientistStewart has served up the instructive equivalent of a Michelin-starred tasting menu, or perhaps a smorgasbord of appetisers. And of course, appetisers are designed to give you an appetite for more ? Guardian Biografía del autor Ian Stewart's recent books include (with Terry Pratchett and Jack Cohen) The Science of Discworld IV and (published by Profile) 17 Equations that Changed the World, The Great Mathematical Problems, Professor Stewart's Casebook of Mathematical Mysteries and Calculating the Cosmos. His app, Incredible Numbers, was published jointly by Profile and Touch Press in 2014.