Albert Einstein, "This is beyond doubt the most interesting book on the evolution of mathematics that has ever fallen into my hands." This book has long been considered one of the most successful and brilliant presentations of mathematics to the layman. The book describes the evolution of the concept of number from its beginnings among primitive people to its contemporary development as one of the richest and most fascinating branches of mathematics.
Tobias Dantzig (February 19, 1884 – August 9, 1956) was a mathematician of Baltic German and Russian American heritage, the father of George Dantzig, and the author of Number: The Language of Science (A critical survey written for the cultured non-mathematician) (1930) and Aspects of Science (New York, Macmillan, 1937).