Numbers: The Universal Language
{{short description|1996 book by Denis Guedj}}
{{Infobox book
| name = Numbers: The Universal Language
| image = L'empire des nombres (Découvertes Gallimard, nº 300).jpg
| image_size =
| border =
| alt =
| caption = First French edition. The cover featuring a 19th-century engraving of anthropomorphic numbers.
| author = Denis Guedj
| title_orig = L'empire des nombres
| orig_lang_code = fr
| translator = Lory Frankel
| cover_artist = Anonymous
| country = France
| language = French
| series = {{ubl | Découvertes Gallimard●Sciences {{small|(FR)}} | Abrams Discoveries {{small|(US)}} | New Horizons {{small|(UK)}} }}
| release_number = {{ordinal|300}} in collection
| subject =
| genre = Nonfiction monograph
| publisher = {{ubl | Éditions Gallimard {{small|(FR)}} | Harry N. Abrams {{small|(US)}} | Thames & Hudson {{small|(UK)}} }}
| pub_date = 18 November 1996
| english_pub_date = 1997 {{small|(US)}}
1998 {{small|(UK)}}
| media_type = Print (paperback)
| pages = 176 pp.
| isbn = 978-2-0705-3373-2
| isbn_note = (first edition)
| oclc = 910594391
| dewey =
| congress =
| preceded_by = {{lang|fr|L'Art et la Science : L'esprit des chefs-d'œuvre}}
| followed_by = {{lang|fr|La guerre d'Algérie : Histoire d'une déchirure}}
}}
Numbers: The Universal Language ({{langx|fr|L'empire des nombres|translation=The Empire of Numbers}}) is a 1996 illustrated monograph on numbers and their history. Written by the French historian of science Denis Guedj, and published in pocket format by Éditions Gallimard as the {{ordinal|300}} volume in their "Découvertes" collection{{cite web |url=http://www.gallimard.fr/Catalogue/GALLIMARD/Decouvertes-Gallimard/Decouvertes-Gallimard/Sciences-et-techniques/L-empire-des-nombres |title=L'empire des nombres, Collection Découvertes Gallimard (n° 300), Série Sciences et techniques |author= |date= |website=gallimard.fr |language=fr |access-date=7 December 2020}} (known as "Abrams Discoveries" in the United States, and "New Horizons" in the United Kingdom). The book was adapted into a documentary film of the same title in 2001.{{cite web |url=http://download.pro.arte.tv/archives/fichiers/01678492.pdf |title=L'Aventure humaine — L'empire des nombres |author= |date=2001 |website=pro.arte.tv |language=fr |access-date=29 November 2020}}
Introduction
File:Numbers - The Universal Language ("Abrams Discoveries" and "New Horizons").jpg
The book is part of the {{lang|fr|Sciences et techniques}} series (formerly belonging to {{lang|fr|Sciences}} series) in the "Découvertes Gallimard" collection. As a work of popularisation of mathematics, it uses simple language to describe the basics of numbers—arithmetic, integer, natural number, concepts of zero and infinity—as well as how numbers and their symbolism came to be used in art and other disciplines.
According to the tradition of "Découvertes", which is based on an abundant pictorial documentation and a way of bringing together visual documents and texts, enhanced by printing on coated paper, as commented in L'Express, "genuine monographs, published like art books".{{cite web |url=https://www.lexpress.fr/culture/livre/l-invention-des-decouvertes_810690.html |title=L'invention des Découvertes |last=Garcia |first=Daniel |date=1 November 2005 |website=lexpress.fr |language=fr |access-date=29 November 2020 |quote=De véritables monographies, éditées comme des livres d'art.}} It's almost like a "graphic novel", replete with colour plates.
Contents
The book opens with a "trailer" ({{pp.|1|9}}), that is, a series of full-page photographs showing The Powers of Ten. The body text is divided into seven chapters:
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
- Chapter 1: "How Many?" ({{pp.|13|23}});
- Chapter 2: "From Numbers to Figures" ({{pp.|25|43}});
- Chapter 3: "Positional Notation" ({{pp.|45|59}});
- Chapter 4: "Natural Numbers" ({{pp.|61|77}});
- Chapter 5: "The Universe Expands" ({{pp.|79|103}});
- Chapter 6: "From Zero to Infinity" ({{pp.|105|121}});
- Chapter 7: "The Impossible Definition" ({{pp.|123|127}}).
{{div col end}}
The second part of the book, the "Documents", containing a compilation of excerpts divided into nine parts:
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
- Counting ({{pp.|130|131}});
- Against Pythagoras, Against Zeno ({{pp.|132|135}});
- Numbers and religion ({{pp.|136|137}});
- Numbers, philosophy, and poetry ({{pp.|138|141}});
- The science of measurement ({{pp.|142|145}});
- The abacus and calculator ({{pp.|146|147}});
- Music and mathematics ({{pp.|148|151}});
- Number and psychology ({{pp.|152|155}});
- The wit and wisdom of numbers ({{pp.|156|163}}).
- Amusing Puzzle ({{p.|164}});
- Glossary ({{pp.|165|167}});
- Chronology ({{pp.|168|170}});
- Further Reading ({{p.|170}});
- List of Illustrations ({{pp.|171|173}});
- Index ({{pp.|173|174}}).
{{div col end}}
Reception
On Babelio, the book gets an average of 3.0/5 based on 11 ratings.{{cite web |url=https://www.babelio.com/livres/Guedj-LEmpire-des-nombres/3153 |title=L'Empire des nombres |author= |website=babelio.com |language=fr |access-date=29 November 2020}} Goodreads reported, based on 66 ratings, an average of 3.61 out of 5,{{cite web |url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1232290 |title=Numbers: The Universal Language |author= |website=goodreads.com |access-date=29 November 2020}} indicating "generally positive opinions".
Adaptation
In 2001, the book was adapted as a documentary film of the same name. A co-production between La Sept-Arte and Trans Europe Film, with the collaboration of Éditions Gallimard and CNRS Images Média, the film was directed by Philippe Truffault, with voice-over narration by Denis Guedj himself. It was broadcast on Arte as part of the television programme The Human Adventure,{{cite web |url=https://www.florilege-maths.fr/fiche/lempire-des-nombres-2/ |title=L'empire des nombres 2001 |author= |date=2001 |website=florilege-maths.fr |language=fr |access-date=29 November 2020}} and released on DVD by Arte vidéo, with English dubbed audio.{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Denis-Guedj/dp/B001E9FDW6 |title=L'Empire des Nombres (DVD) |author= |date= |website=amazon.com |access-date=29 November 2020}} The film has also been dubbed into German by the title {{lang|de|Im Reich der Zahlen}}.{{cite web |url=https://programm.ard.de/TV/arte/im-reich-der-zahlen/eid_287247507269402 |title=Im Reich der Zahlen |author= |date=10 March 2012 |website=programm.ard.de |language=de |access-date=29 November 2020}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.gallimard.fr/Catalogue/GALLIMARD/Decouvertes-Gallimard/Decouvertes-Gallimard/Sciences-et-techniques/L-empire-des-nombres}} {{in lang|fr}}
- {{IMDb title|qid=Q101251356|title=L'empire des nombres}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Mathematics|History of science|Book|Literature|Television|France}}
Category:1996 non-fiction books
Category:Books about mathematics
Category:Non-fiction books adapted into films
Category:Découvertes Gallimard
Category:2001 documentary films
Category:2001 television films
Category:French documentary television films