Pythagoras

His Lives and the Legacy of a Rational Universe

By: Kitty Ferguson

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eBook | 3 March 2011

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The enthralling story of Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans, whose insight transformed the ancient world and still inspire the realms of science, mathematics, philosophy and the arts. Einstein said that the most incredible thing about our universe was that it was comprehensible at all. As Kitty Ferguson explains in this eye-opening new book, Pythagoras had much the same idea – but 2,500 years earlier. Though many know him only for the so-called Pythagorean theorem, in fact the pillars of our scientific tradition – the belief that the universe is rational, that there is unity to all things, and that numbers and mathematics are a powerful guide to truth about nature and the cosmos – hark back to the convictions of this legendary scholar and his ancient followers. Alongside the poignant human saga, Kitty Ferguson brilliantly evokes Pythagoras’ ancient world, showing how his ideas spread in antiquity and in the Middle Ages, and chronicles the incredible influence he and his followers have had on extraordinary people – from Plato to Bertrand Russell – throughout the history of Western thought and science.

Industry Reviews

''Pythagoras' does two things exceptionally well. It provides a magnificent grand tour of the history of mathematics and how it has shaped our understanding of the universe. And it provides deep insight into how the West has manufactured and maintains its Greek roots. This makes it a valuable and inspiring read.'