The Man of Numbers: Fibonacci's Arithmetic Revolution

The Man of Numbers: Fibonacci's Arithmetic Revolution by Keith J. Devlin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was definitely an interesting read. At 150 pages, it was just the right length to learn about the man who introduced the Hindu-Arabic number system to the western world. Without his practical instructions, the advances in the western civilization definitely would have been delayed.
This was also a very educational read. I learned many facts about Fibonacci that I didn't know or wouldn't know to ask. Such as Fibonacci is not his real name, it's Leonardo (another talented Italian Leonardo). Or that he's from Pisa (just like Galileo Galilei). Or that this Lenardo didn't invent anything per se, but made a new and difficult concept palatable for the masses. Many of these facts are trivial, but someone who loves random knowledge, it is a worthwhile read.
I wished the book delve more into his famous numbers sequence, but the book is titled The Man of Numbers. I will have to go read up on the Fibonacci sequence in another book.



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