Number Stories of Long Ago

by David Eugene Smith

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Genres: Mathematics, School, History, Childrens

150 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1919

About the author

David Eugene Smith was an American mathematician, educator, and editor.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a mathematician, and I have trouble following the number-puzzles at the end. But this book was delightful, nevertheless. I enjoyed learning about early systems of writing numbers and the development of the number system we currently use. It's much more recent than I had realized! Little bite-sized chapters told in children's story form make this book easy to read. Not scholarly, but fun.

[Mariah Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book we read in morning time!

Following boys from around the world, you learn how they came to know math: learn to write numbers, add, multiply, etc. There are many illustrations, perfect for Book of Century entries.

The last few chapters are full of number puzzles we enjoyed working through—even if we did get many of them wrong! 🤣

[Catie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun presentation about the progression of mathematical thought and discovery, but in a challenging way that makes you think. The last two pages are all a quick succession of number puzzles told in story form. My particular edition of this book came with an insert that gives the answers to the puzzles, but those answers are not at all in the main text. If you have a child that loves to work out number puzzles, this is a great book for them.

[Alex N]

a bit confusing but good book and interesting puzzles