A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK The Babylonians invented it, the Greeks banned it, the Hindus worshipped it, and the Christian Church used it to fend off heretics. Today it's a timebomb ticking in the heart of astrophysics. For zero, infinity's twin, is not like other numbers. It is both nothing and everything. Zero has pitted East against West and faith against reason, and its intransigence persists in the dark core of a black hole and the brilliant flash of the Big Bang. Today, zero lies at the heart of one of the biggest ...
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A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK The Babylonians invented it, the Greeks banned it, the Hindus worshipped it, and the Christian Church used it to fend off heretics. Today it's a timebomb ticking in the heart of astrophysics. For zero, infinity's twin, is not like other numbers. It is both nothing and everything. Zero has pitted East against West and faith against reason, and its intransigence persists in the dark core of a black hole and the brilliant flash of the Big Bang. Today, zero lies at the heart of one of the biggest scientific controversies of all time: the quest for a theory of everything. Within the concept of zero lies a philosophical and scientific history of humanity. Charles Seife's elegant and witty account takes us from Aristotle to superstring theory by way of Egyptian geometry, Kabbalism, Einstein, the Chandrasekhar limit and Stephen Hawking. Covering centuries of thought, it is a concise tour of a world of ideas, bound up in the simple notion of nothing.
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Add this copy of Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea to cart. $0.99, fair condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Penguin Books.
Add this copy of Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea to cart. $0.99, fair condition, Sold by Zoom Books East rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Glendale Heights, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Penguin Books.
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Fair. Book is in acceptable condition and shows signs of wear. Book may also include underlining highlighting. The book can also include From the library of labels. May not contain miscellaneous items toys dvds etc. We offer 100% money back guarantee and 24 7 customer service.
Add this copy of Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea to cart. $0.99, fair condition, Sold by ZBK Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Woodland Park, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Viking Adult.
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Fair. Fast &-A well-used but reliable copy with all text fully readable. Pages and cover remain intact though wear such as notes highlighting bends or library marks may be present. Supplemental items like CDs or access codes may not be included.
Add this copy of Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea to cart. $0.99, good condition, Sold by Greenworld Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Viking Adult.
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Good condition book with a firm cover and clean readable pages. Shows normal use including some light wear or limited notes highlighting yet remains a dependable copy overall. Supplemental items like CDs or access codes may not be included.
Add this copy of Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea to cart. $0.99, fair condition, Sold by Greenworld Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Arlington, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Viking Adult.
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Fair. A well-loved copy with text fully readable and cover pages intact. May display wear such as writing highlighting bends folds or library marks. Still a complete and usable book. Supplemental items like CDs or access codes may not be included.
Add this copy of Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea to cart. $1.26, good condition, Sold by Goodwill of Colorado rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Penguin Books.
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Good. All pages and cover are intact. Dust jacket included if applicable though it may be missing on hardcover editions. Spine and cover may show minor signs of wear including scuff marks curls or bends to corners as well as cosmetic blemishes including stickers. Pages may contain limited notes or highlighting. From the library of labels may be present. Shrink wrap dust covers or boxed set packaging may be missing. Bundled media e.g. CDs DVDs access codes may not be included.
Add this copy of Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea to cart. $1.28, fair condition, Sold by Good Books Will Follow rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Blue Springs, MO, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Viking Adult.
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Fair. The book has obvious wear. It may have some damage to the cover but its integrity is intact. The binding may be slightly damaged but its integrity is still intact. There may be possible writing in the margins and underlining and highlighting of text but there are no missing pages or anything that would compromise the legibility or understanding of the text. See the seller's listing for full details and a description of any imperfections.
Add this copy of Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea to cart. $1.39, fair condition, Sold by Aspen Book Company rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Penguin Books.
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Fair. It's been through some chapters of life! Expect visible wear-creases notes highlights maybe even a splash of water here and there. Perfect for readers who love a book with history.
Add this copy of Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea to cart. $1.40, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill of Colorado rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Viking Adult.
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Fair. This item is in overall acceptable condition. Covers and dust jackets are intact but may have heavy wear including creases bends edge wear curled corners or minor tears as well as stickers or sticker-residue. Pages are intact but may have minor curls bends or moderate to considerable highlighting writing. Binding is intact; however spine may have heavy wear. Digital codes may not be included and have not been tested to be redeemable and or active. A well-read copy overall. Please note that all items are donated goods and are in used condition. Orders shipped Monday through Friday! Your purchase helps put people to work and learn life skills to reach their full potential. Orders shipped Monday through Friday. Your purchase helps put people to work and learn life skills to reach their full potential. Thank you!
Add this copy of Zero: the Biography of a Dangerous Idea to cart. $2.26, good condition, Sold by Blue Vase Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Interlochen, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Penguin Books.
There is a difference between not having a bank account and having a back account with no money in it. That there are different types of nothing , and how they effected history, was amazing
IanPCook
Apr 4, 2007
Shining example of "microhistory"
Seife's exploration of the concept of zero, from initial difficulties with characterizing "nothing" with a symbol to dealing with the mathematical impacts of what occurs when your system includes an "empty" quantity, is engaging and compelling. As can be said of numerous ideas (in math and elsewhere), the concept of zero seems almost staggeringly obvious in retrospect; this book makes it possible to understand why it wasn't at all trivial. And then continues to show the importance of and interest in dealing with zero in numerous aspects. I did long for a bit more weight to the book as a whole, but this may be as much a testament to Seife's style than anything else. I would be thrilled to read more detailed exposition of the place of zero in modern mathematics. But that could just be me...
