Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea

Rating:
Summary: Life, the Universe, and Nothing
Review: ZERO: THE BIOGRAPHY OF A DANGEROUS IDEA is a book about literally nothing (thankfully, no Seinfeld references). It's a non-fiction book dealing with some concepts that the layman may find difficult. However, it's told with enough clarity and wit that the reader should never feel overwhelmed by the mathematical and scientific terminology. Charles Seife does a fine job of balancing the explanations with the investigations.

I really enjoyed reading this book, though I should point out that I already liked mathematical topics beforehand. Not that I was particularly gifted in mathematics in school, but the fun thing about reading books like this is that one can still think about and ponder the concepts without having to spend several hours a day doing repetitive busywork.

Seife delves deep into the origins of zero. I found it fascinating to see exactly how some cultures simply had no need of zero and how others came to the idea with much resistance. The religious, philosophical, mathematical and scientific ramifications of this discovery are discussed and never fail to be intriguing.

Although zero is what got on the cover and in the title, infinity plays a large part too. The book goes on a short history of major paradigm changes in philosophy, math and physics, pointing out where zero and infinity played major roles in tearing down old schools of thought and building new ones. Zero and infinity complement each other, and the history of zero would be incomplete without demonstrating how contemporaneous theories of infinity influenced it.

I should also mention the book's tone. Although most people wouldn't think of a math text as a jolly read, this one would defy those expectations. You have to admire any book that includes the sentence: "See appendix A for a proof that Winston Churchill was a carrot."

Of course, humor and the whimsical flavor are only the icing. I'll remember a lot of the pure information presented. Some of it is meticulously analyzed, while some facts are just casually offered. Although this is a relatively small book, it feels very dense (in the best possible way). There's a lot here.

I applaud Seife's research and presentation. While it would probably be difficult to make such interesting concepts boring, the writing here is anything but dry. This is the perfect gift for those of us with an interest in math, but without the intense background needed to survive a more mathematician-focused tome.