Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea by Charles Seife

Summary:
While explaining the history of zero and how it was brought up, the author uses facts and humor to keep readers interested. Today the Babylonians  are considered the ones who invented zero. Zero was feared by a lot of people because they never wanted to accept the fact that something could start at nothing. This idea just scared people so they just pushed it to the side and pretended it did not exist. Even the smartest mathematicians in ancient time lived without this number, such as the Greeks and Egyptians. Yet, the Mayan system included zero in its own numbering system, but most groups stuck to their own ways. No acceptance in zero meant that these people could not accept an end to such things such as a race. For example the Greeks believed the race would start as a whole distance and the race just gets smaller by the fractional distance of speed.  Zero is not yet confirmed as a number to all and this causes some like of understanding when the value is talked about in these ancient times.
Quote:
"Eureka! Eureka! Of course Archimedes forgot that he was stark naked"(Seife 47).
Reaction:
What I like about this line is that it provides some humor in the process of explaining to me when am reading the book. The reason why this quote is funny is because this engineer was told by the King of Syracuse to find out if his crown is made out of pure gold. So when day as Archimedes settles in a tub of water he realizes that he can use the water to figure out properties such a the density of an object. He then goes running out of his home feeling so joyful, but how happy are the people that witness this view.