Steve's Reviews > Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea

With his engaging book "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea", author Charles Seife embarks on an intellectual adventure exploring the history and meaning behind the number zero. From its origins in ancient Babylonian mathematics to its indispensable role in modern physics and computer science, Seife shows how this seemingly simple concept contains layers of complexity and paradox.

Seife argues that zero is more than just a placeholder or mathematical symbol. It represents a dangerous idea that has constantly challenged our understanding of reality and the nature of existence. The ancient Greeks rejected zero as an absurdity and evidence of mankind's flawed understanding of the cosmos. Philosophers like Aristotle saw zero as an affront to reason itself. How can "nothing" be something? For centuries, zero languished on the fringe of respectable mathematics.

It took visionaries like the Indian mathematician Brahmagupta to fully incorporate zero into the decimal system we use today. As zero found acceptance, it enabled the development of calculus, expanded our scientific knowledge, and led to advancements like computer programming. Yet still it remained controversial. Seife points out many leading thinkers, from Pascal to Heidegger, rejected zero as mystical, contradictory or sinister.

As an audiobook, "Zero" benefits greatly from Bob Souer's engaging narration. He brings energy and enthusiasm to the historical events and mathematical concepts covered. The storytelling style makes the ideas not just understandable, but gripping. The book mixes humor and metaphor effortlessly, capturing the listener's interest.

Some of the most fascinating parts of "Zero" are Seife's explorations into the philosophical dilemmas posed by the concept of nothingness. He uses vivid examples like baseball players' batting averages and parallel universes. These make abstract notions tangible. Seife also has a gift for conveying the drama behind key mathematical breakthroughs like the formal definition of zero.

Seife stresses that zero is still a dangerous idea today. Its unintuitive nature leads people to misunderstand concepts like statistical uncertainty and vaccine efficacy. He ties our uneasiness with zero to cognitive biases like our inability to reason correctly about probability. Seife's discussions of these modern issues are insightful, showing the continued relevance of zero's contradictions.

For all its scope, "Zero" remains accessible to a general audience. Seife excels at finding resonating entry points into complex math and philosophy. The pacing moves briskly, touching on topics like infinity, vacuum physics and logarithms without getting bogged down. Seife has a true passion for his subject that keeps the narrative energetic from start to finish.

Occasionally Seife's style can veer towards the sensational, emphasizing superlatives like most important, greatest, and dangerous. But overall he succeeds admirably in bringing an esoteric concept to vivid life. Anyone curious about the intellectual history behind one of math's simplest but most profound ideas will find "Zero" an enjoyable and illuminating listen. With his absorbing biography, Seife proves that zero really is something.