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Description
The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of ZeroA symbol for what is not there, an emptiness that increases any number it's added to, an inexhaustible and indispensable paradox. As we enter the year 2000, zero is once again making its presence felt. Nothing itself, it makes possible a myriad of calculations. Indeed, without zero mathematics as we know it would not exist. And without mathematics our understanding of the universe would be vastly impoverished. But where did this nothing, this hollow
A symbol for what is not there, an emptiness that increases any number it's added to, an inexhaustible and indispensable paradox. As we enter the year 2000, zero is once again making its presence felt. Nothing itself, it makes possible a myriad of calculations. Indeed, without zero mathematics as we know it would not exist. And without mathematics our understanding of the universe would be vastly impoverished. But where did this nothing, this hollow circle, come from? Who created it? And what, exactly, does it mean?Robert Kaplan's The Nothing That Is: A Natural History of Zero begins as a mystery story, taking us back to Sumerian times, and then to Greece and India, piecing together the way the idea of a symbol for nothing evolved. Kaplan shows us just how handicapped our ancestors were in trying to figure large sums without the aid of the zero. (Try multiplying CLXIV by XXIV). Remarkably, even the Greeks, mathematically brilliant as they were, didn't have a zero--or did they? We follow the trail to the East where, a millennium or two ago, Indian mathematicians took another crucial step. By treating zero for the first time like any other number, instead of a unique symbol, they allowed huge new leaps forward in computation, and also in our understanding of how mathematics itself works.
In the Middle Ages, this mathematical knowledge swept across western Europe via Arab traders. At first it was called "dangerous Saracen magic" and considered the Devil's work, but it wasn't long before merchants and bankers saw how handy this magic was, and used it to develop tools like double-entry bookkeeping. Zero quickly became an essential part of increasingly sophisticated equations, and with the invention of calculus, one could say it was a linchpin of the scientific revolution. And now even deeper layers of this thing that is nothing are coming to light: our computers speak only in zeros and ones, and modern mathematics shows that zero alone can be made to generate everything.
Robert Kaplan serves up all this history with immense zest and humor; his writing is full of anecdotes and asides, and quotations from Shakespeare to Wallace Stevens extend the book's context far beyond the scope of scientific specialists. For Kaplan, the history of zero is a lens for looking not only into the evolution of mathematics but into very nature of human thought. He points out how the history of mathematics is a process of recursive abstraction: how once a symbol is created to represent an idea, that symbol itself gives rise to new operations that in turn lead to new ideas. The beauty of mathematics is that even though we invent it, we seem to be discovering something that already exists.
The joy of that discovery shines from Kaplan's pages, as he ranges from Archimedes to Einstein, making fascinating connections between mathematical insights from every age and culture. A tour de force of science history, The Nothing That Is takes us through the hollow circle that leads to infinity.
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Published: 12/01/2000
ISBN: 9780195142372
Pages: 240
Weight: 0.58lbs
Size: 7.73h x 4.68w x 0.60d
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4.5 ★★★★★
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★★★★★ 5
If you need a nice billfold you just found it. Very roomy!
Color: Black
Very nice billfold, made very well, holds lots of cards, just room for everything. Love it, would definitely buy again, even has nice strap if you choose not to carry without your purse..
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Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Best leather with lower cost
Color: Brown, Color: Brown
Good quality, I've always loved fossil leathers,. Satisfied with the item.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Super cute, well made
Color: Infinite Pink
Just what I was looking for…can’t top the cute pink
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Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2026
★★★★★ 4
The pink is darker than the image portrays
Color: Infinite Pink
The pink color is significantly darker than the image shows. It’s like a dark red rose color in real life, not so much a hot pink like the listing shows
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Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Still A Fossil Fan
Color: Black, Color: Black
I have been a fan of Fossil products for many years. When I needed a new wallet I was happy to have found this style on Amazon.
I travel fairly often so I knew that I wanted a leather wallet that had a removeable hand strap, ample card storage, and a zip closure. This wallet was exactly what I was looking for.
The strap is sturdy and zipper is really smooth. The inside of the wallet is very roomy, with multiple pockets (my samsung phone fits inside). There are also two zipper sections (one interior and the other exterior). There are also several places for your ID, cards, etc.
I have been using this wallet for over a yearit now and I must say that it has held up really well. There are no pulls/ tears in the stiching or issues with the strap and the zippers still work like new.
It's a great option to have on those days when you just don't feel like carrying around a handbag. I would definitely buy this item again.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2025
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