The Secret Lives of Numbers

The Secret Lives of Numbers

A global history of mathematics and its unsung pioneers

A revised, accessible and radically inclusive history of mathematics

Mathematics shapes almost everything we do. Although we often see it as a field based on unchanging truths, the stories we tell about its history are frequently completely wrong. In The Secret Lives of Numbers, historian Kate Kitagawa and journalist Timothy Revell introduce the pioneering mathematicians whom history erased because of their skin colour, gender or background.

Meet fascinating figures, from brilliant 9th-century Arab scholars at the House of Wisdom to pioneering 20th-century African-American mathematicians and "computers" from around the world who radically transformed our understanding of the night sky. Explore their contributions to global knowledge, which we still draw on today.

Dr Kate Kitagawa is one of the world's leading experts on the history of mathematics. She earned her PhD from Princeton University, worked at Harvard University and conducted research in the UK, Germany and South Africa. Her first book, The Secret Lives of Numbers, became a bestseller in Japan. She is currently the director of the Space Education Office at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Dr Timothy Revell is a science journalist and an expert on mathematics and technology. He holds an MSc in mathematics and a PhD in computer science. He is the executive editor of New Scientist magazine and writes about artificial intelligence and mathematics, among other topics. He regularly appears on radio shows and podcasts to comment on the latest scientific discoveries and trends.