COUNTING

Humans, History and the Infinite Lives of Numbers

Benjamin Wardhaugh

Copyright

William Collins

An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

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This eBook first published in Great Britain by William Collins in 2024

Copyright © Benjamin Wardhaugh

Benjamin Wardhaugh asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

Cover design by Ola Galewicz

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

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Source ISBN: 9780008436469

Ebook Edition © June 2024 ISBN: 9780008436483

Version: 2024-06-27

Dedication

For William, Ralph and Laurence

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Introduction: What is counting?

PART 1. ROOTS

1 Number sense before counting

2 Counting before writing: Africa and beyond

Interlude: The numbers

PART 2. BRANCHES

3 Counting with words and symbols in the Fertile Crescent

4 Counter culture from Athens to the Atlantic

5 Number symbols from India

Interlude: Number symbols

6 Machines that count: Around East Asia

7 Counting words and more in the Pacific world

8 Panorama: Counting in the Americas

Conclusion

Notes on sources