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Numbers and the Making of Us
Counting and the Course of Human Cultures
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Check link for latest rating. ( 165 ratings, 29 reviews)
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Numbers and the Making of Us
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This book suits readers interested in language, cognition, anthropology, and the history of science, particularly those curious about how abstract concepts like numbers emerge through culture.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
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Description
"A fascinating book."
- James Ryerson, New York Times Book Review
A Smithsonian Best Science Book of the Year
Winner of the PROSE Award for Best Book in Language & Linguistics
Carved into our past and woven into our present, numbers shape our perceptions of the world far more than we think. In this sweeping account of how the invention of numbers sparked a revolution in human thought and culture, Caleb Everett draws on new discoveries in psychology, anthropology, and linguistics to reveal the many things made possible by numbers, from the concept of time to writing, agriculture, and commerce.
Numbers are a tool, like the wheel, developed and refined over millennia. They allow us to grasp quantities precisely, but recent research confirms that they are not innate—and without numbers, we could not fully grasp quantities greater than three. Everett considers the number systems that have developed in different societies as he shares insights from his fascinating work with indigenous Amazonians.
"This is bold, heady stuff. The breadth of research Everett covers is impressive, and allows him to develop a narrative that is both global and compelling. Numbers is eye-opening, even eye-popping."
- New Scientist
"A powerful and convincing case for Everett's main thesis: that numbers are neither natural nor innate to humans."
- Wall Street Journal
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
New York Times Book Review describes it as "a fascinating book." New Scientist praises its bold and heady scope, calling it "eye-opening, even eye-popping," highlighting the author’s global and compelling narrative. The Wall Street Journal finds Everett’s thesis powerful and convincing, arguing numbers are a cognitive invention rather than natural to humans.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780674237810
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 22 April 2019
Country: United States
Imprint: Harvard University Press
Illustration: 7 photos, 1 illus.
Audience: Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 20.0mm
Width: 140.0mm
Height: 210.0mm
Weight: 281g
Pages: 312
About the Author
Caleb Everett, Professor of Anthropology and of Linguistics and Cognitive Science and Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Delaware, is the author of Numbers and the Making of Us and Linguistic Relativity: Evidence across Languages and Cognitive Domains.
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