{"product_id":"the-mystery-of-numbers","title":"The Mystery of Numbers","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhy is the number seven lucky--even holy--in almost every culture? Why do we speak of the four corners of the earth? Why do cats have nine lives (except in Iran  where they have seven)? From literature to folklore to private superstitions  numbers play a conspicuous role in our daily lives. But in this fascinating book  Annemarie Schimmel shows that numbers have been filled with mystery and meaning since the earliest times  and across every society. In The Mystery of Numbers Annemarie Schimmel conducts an illuminating tour of the mysteries attributed to numbers over the centuries. She begins with an informative and often surprising introduction to the origins of number systems: pre-Roman Europeans  for example  may have had one based on twenty  not ten (as suggested by the English word \"score\" and the French word for 80  quatrevingt --four times twenty)  while the Mayans had a system more sophisticated than our own. Schimmel also reveals how our fascination with numbers has led to a rich cross-fertilization of mathematical knowledge: \"Arabic\" numerals  for instance  were picked up by Europe from the Arabs  who had earlier adopted them from Indian sources (\"Algorithm\" and \"algebra\" are corruptions of the Arabic author and title names of a mathematical text prized in medieval Europe). But the heart of the book is an engrossing guide to the symbolism of numbers. Number symbolism  she shows  has deep roots in Western culture  from the philosophy of the Pythagoreans and Platonists  to the religious mysticism of the Cabala and the Islamic Brethren of Purity  to Keplers belief that the laws of planetary motion should be mathematically elegant  to the unlucky thirteen. After exploring the sources of number symbolism  Schimmel examines individual numbers ranging from one to ten thousand  discussing the meanings they have had for Judaic  Christian  and Islamic traditions  with examples from Indian  Chinese  and Native American cultures as well. Two  for instance  has widely been seen as a number of contradiction and polarity  a number of discord and antithesis. And six  according to ancient and neo-platonic thinking  is the most perfect number because it is both the sum and the product of its parts (1236 and 1x2x36). Using examples ranging from the Bible to the Mayans to Shakespeare  she shows how numbers have been considered feminine and masculine  holy and evil  lucky and unlucky. A highly respected scholar of Islamic culture  Annemarie Schimmel draws on her vast knowledge to paint a rich  cross-cultural portrait of the many meanings of numbers. Engaging and accessible  her account uncovers the roots of a phenomenon we all feel every Friday the thirteenth.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44964467703861,"sku":"ByrdShop_0195063031","price":28.24,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780195063035.jpg?v=1770462334","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-mystery-of-numbers","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}