From the Inside Flap
"Havil is an enthusiastic and engaging writer--he brings to life John Napiers original work and gives an account of his mathematical ideas. Readers will gain an appreciation for Napiers brilliance and for an era when scientific computation was still in its infancy. Its about time someone wrote a book on this subject for a general audience."--Glen Van Brummelen, author ofHeavenly Mathematics
"Offering a thorough look into Napiers contributions, family lineage, and life, this effectively organized book will be most useful to general readers and those with interests in Napier the man, the Reformation, early seventeenth-century mathematics, and Napiers influence on logarithms and scientific developments of the time."--Kathy Clark, Florida State University
"Havil has crafted a complete biography of John Napier, including detailed explanations of his mathematical creations, all in the proper historical context. Readers will gain a deep understanding of the background and uses of the logarithm, as well as the significance of Napiers achievement."--Paul C. Pasles, author of Benjamin Franklins Numbers
From the Back Cover
"Havil is an enthusiastic and engaging writer--he brings to life John Napier's original work and gives an account of his mathematical ideas. Readers will gain an appreciation for Napier's brilliance and for an era when scientific computation was still in its infancy. It's about time someone wrote a book on this subject for a general audience."--Glen Van Brummelen, author of Heavenly Mathematics
"Offering a thorough look into Napier's contributions, family lineage, and life, this effectively organized book will be most useful to general readers and those with interests in Napier the man, the Reformation, early seventeenth-century mathematics, and Napier's influence on logarithms and scientific developments of the time."--Kathy Clark, Florida State University
"Havil has crafted a complete biography of John Napier, including detailed explanations of his mathematical creations, all in the proper historical context. Readers will gain a deep understanding of the background and uses of the logarithm, as well as the significance of Napier's achievement."--Paul C. Pasles, author of Benjamin Franklin's Numbers
About the Author
Julian Havil is the author of Gamma: Exploring Euler's Constant, Nonplussed!: Mathematical Proof of Implausible Ideas, Impossible?: Surprising Solutions to Counterintuitive Conundrums, and The Irrationals: A Story of the Numbers You Can't Count On (all Princeton). He is a retired former master at Winchester College, England, where he taught mathematics for more than three decades.
