Overview

Drawing on years of research, a renowned archaeologist traces the evolution of counting. She shows how the concept of numbers came about, how various societies answered the question ""How many?,"" and how our modern-day decimal system was developed. Engrossing and enlightening, this fascinating book introduces children to one of our most important inventions. 00-01 Utah Book Award (Informational Books) Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies 2000, National Council for SS & Child. Book Council

Full Product Details

9780688141189

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""Denise Schmandt-Besserat, a world-famous archaeologist at the University of Texas, is generally credited as being the person who, through her discovery of physical number systems (clay tokens) from Sumerian civilization, first put together our current understanding of the origins of modern number systems...Numbers, and the way we represent them, are so much a part of our lives that you have to step back to realize that, like language itself, they are a truly remarkable invention. Such 'stepping back' and reflecting is rarely done outside the college philosophy class. Despite its brevity - just 41 pages of text - 'The History of Counting' provides a fairly comprehensive coverage of the whole field of number systems in general and the Hindu-Arabic system in particular.""The New York Times Book Review 3/12/2000"

A well-researched, intriguing account of how counting has evolved. Schmandt-Besserat recounts how the Paiela, who cultivate orchards in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, count by pointing to parts of their body. . . . The number I is called 'left little finger,' 11 is 'left neck,' 16 is 'right ear,' etc. The Veddas of Sri Lanka count without numbers, collecting pebbles to indicate how many. She also painstakingly charts the long evolution of counting through abstract counting, the use of ten digits, and the advantages of Arabic numerals over the older systems. Her rigorous, scientific approach to the subject ensures that readers will never take the counting system for granted again. The full-color illustrations make history beautifully visual, while a glossary sets forth concrete definitions for readers to peruse. (Kirkus Reviews)

Denise Schmandt-Besserat, a world-famous archaeologist at the University of Texas, is generally credited as being the person who, through her discovery of physical number systems (clay tokens) from Sumerian civilization, first put together our current understanding of the origins of modern number systems...Numbers, and the way we represent them, are so much a part of our lives that you have to step back to realize that, like language itself, they are a truly remarkable invention. Such 'stepping back' and reflecting is rarely done outside the college philosophy class. Despite its brevity - just 41 pages of text - 'The History of Counting' provides a fairly comprehensive coverage of the whole field of number systems in general and the Hindu-Arabic system in particular. The New York Times Book Review 3/12/2000

Author Information

Michael Hays is the illustrator of several books for children, including Abiyoyo by Pete Seeger and Hello, Tree! by Joanne Ryder. He lives in Oak Park, IL.

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