Count Like an Egyptian

A Hands-on Introduction to Ancient Mathematics

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Mathematics, Arithmetic, History, Science
Cover of the book Count Like an Egyptian by David Reimer, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: David Reimer ISBN: 9781400851416
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: May 11, 2014
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: David Reimer
ISBN: 9781400851416
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: May 11, 2014
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

The mathematics of ancient Egypt was fundamentally different from our math today. Contrary to what people might think, it wasn't a primitive forerunner of modern mathematics. In fact, it can’t be understood using our current computational methods. Count Like an Egyptian provides a fun, hands-on introduction to the intuitive and often-surprising art of ancient Egyptian math. David Reimer guides you step-by-step through addition, subtraction, multiplication, and more. He even shows you how fractions and decimals may have been calculated—they technically didn’t exist in the land of the pharaohs. You’ll be counting like an Egyptian in no time, and along the way you’ll learn firsthand how mathematics is an expression of the culture that uses it, and why there’s more to math than rote memorization and bewildering abstraction.

Reimer takes you on a lively and entertaining tour of the ancient Egyptian world, providing rich historical details and amusing anecdotes as he presents a host of mathematical problems drawn from different eras of the Egyptian past. Each of these problems is like a tantalizing puzzle, often with a beautiful and elegant solution. As you solve them, you’ll be immersed in many facets of Egyptian life, from hieroglyphs and pyramid building to agriculture, religion, and even bread baking and beer brewing.

Fully illustrated in color throughout, Count Like an Egyptian also teaches you some Babylonian computation—the precursor to our modern system—and compares ancient Egyptian mathematics to today’s math, letting you decide for yourself which is better.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The mathematics of ancient Egypt was fundamentally different from our math today. Contrary to what people might think, it wasn't a primitive forerunner of modern mathematics. In fact, it can’t be understood using our current computational methods. Count Like an Egyptian provides a fun, hands-on introduction to the intuitive and often-surprising art of ancient Egyptian math. David Reimer guides you step-by-step through addition, subtraction, multiplication, and more. He even shows you how fractions and decimals may have been calculated—they technically didn’t exist in the land of the pharaohs. You’ll be counting like an Egyptian in no time, and along the way you’ll learn firsthand how mathematics is an expression of the culture that uses it, and why there’s more to math than rote memorization and bewildering abstraction.

Reimer takes you on a lively and entertaining tour of the ancient Egyptian world, providing rich historical details and amusing anecdotes as he presents a host of mathematical problems drawn from different eras of the Egyptian past. Each of these problems is like a tantalizing puzzle, often with a beautiful and elegant solution. As you solve them, you’ll be immersed in many facets of Egyptian life, from hieroglyphs and pyramid building to agriculture, religion, and even bread baking and beer brewing.

Fully illustrated in color throughout, Count Like an Egyptian also teaches you some Babylonian computation—the precursor to our modern system—and compares ancient Egyptian mathematics to today’s math, letting you decide for yourself which is better.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book Nasser's Gamble by David Reimer
Cover of the book The Church of Scientology by David Reimer
Cover of the book The Mexican Heartland by David Reimer
Cover of the book Congress, the Press, and Political Accountability by David Reimer
Cover of the book Competitive Solutions by David Reimer
Cover of the book Americans at the Gate by David Reimer
Cover of the book The Social Origins of Language by David Reimer
Cover of the book The Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History. (Two volume set) by David Reimer
Cover of the book Illiberal Reformers by David Reimer
Cover of the book How Armies Respond to Revolutions and Why by David Reimer
Cover of the book Fighting for the Speakership by David Reimer
Cover of the book Hysteria Complicated by Ecstasy by David Reimer
Cover of the book Putting Liberalism in Its Place by David Reimer
Cover of the book Attention Deficit Democracy by David Reimer
Cover of the book Hamlet in His Modern Guises by David Reimer
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy