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CHOICE Review

Few advances in the way mankind thinks are so undervalued as the invention of the positional number system. This unappreciated topic has a rich and complicated history that is brought to life in Ifrah's book (translated from the French). The author delves as far back as possible into human attempts to represent numbers. The explanations of the origins of the different base systems-5, 10, 20, and 60-are compelling, and the description of number systems in the East is informative. Ifrah has included sketches of each culture, whenever available, and what in that culture leads to the need for numbers, as well as the way in which the number systems have affected the culture (e.g., in the case of numerology). Ifrah has no trouble in animating the history of numerals, although the sheer volume of history that can be told sometimes slows the exposition. His hand-drawn diagrams further enliven this rich and worthy story. Heartily recommended for all libraries.-J. McCleary, Vassar College