People have always sought order in the apparent chaos of the universe, and mathematics has been our most valuable tool in uncovering the patterns and rules which govern our world and beyond. This book traces humankind's greatest achievements, plotting a journey through the mathematical intellects of the last 4,000 years to where we stand today. Along the way, Anne Rooney discusses the ancient Egyptians' exploration of geometry, the development of computers, the advent of algebra, and how the financial world came to be ruled by statistics.