Book cover of Zero

Book description

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…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Zero as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

My exposure to the number zero over four decades teaching and doing research in mathematics, nanoscience, chemical toxicology, and food safety made me wonder why this number, quantifying nothing, was such a problem whenever it is encountered.

This easy-to-read book gives a complete history of zero from the ancients to the present, as well as illustrating some of its unique properties across numerous disciplines. It is an eye-opening journey into the fascinating properties of a truly unique number.

The author argues that the biggest questions in science and religion often involve nothingness and eternity, with the resulting clashes over zero…

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Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

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