My original illustrated title, The Book of Numbers, has been doing very well around the world. It's now been translated into so many languages that I am not sure I have a copy of each version of my own book.

Because of its success, the publisher asked me to produce a revised paperback edition, which we have decided to title, The Invention of Numbers. This version is a smaller pocket-sized version that retains the key diagrams but allows the reader to read the material in a rather more portable format than the original large volume.

It's taken several months to get it right, and I'm pleased to say that the first books are now hitting the shelves. Click here to see The Invention of Numbers on amazon.

On a similar topic, I've also had a nice message from a reader who also maintains a gorgeous website that illustrates numbers. Check it out.

Please allow me to draw your attention to our internet project www.numbergallery.com. Aim of the site is the build-up of a collection of number pictures from all around the world and hence to show the beauty of numbers in their everyday use beyond their practical importance. You can find a lot of samples from different applications and countries on the site.

We are hoping that the visitors will also be interested in supplemental information regarding numbers in general and have included a link to one of your books on the English and German versions of the site (which also includes lots of beatiful number pictures itself). Probably there are also students or employees at your faculty who like to travel and would be willing to contribute pictures to the collection. Having three kids in school, we are unfortunately not able to tour the world ourselves looking for beautiful number motives.

Most of my popular science books have been translated to many languages. One of the most translated version is now The Book of Numbers - I've slightly lost track of all the different versions. Today a new one suddenly arrived through the mail: Chinese. They've done a very nice job too!

Hello, I am really enjoying your book on mathematics. I am attempting to teach myself math and my question may sound ridiculous, if it does, I apologize. I was reading where you said the irrational numbers are between the spaces of rational numbers. It is so beautiful and poetic, I wasn’t sure if you were being literal. I have a fascination of the space from 0 to 1, and this sentence began a new fascination. Thank you for any response.

I'm glad you enjoyed the book! Math can involve a lot of imagination, where we think about strange spaces that may only exist in the world of numbers. It's true there are an infinite number of irrational numbers that live in between the rational numbers - it's up to you whether you wish to think of them as "spaces" but I think it can help if you are a visual kind of person.

Thank you much for responding. I forgot to say that the book is not only delightful but beautiful.

Dear Mr Peter J Bentley.

How do you do?. I'm Japanese、 living in Japan. I love read and watch your book(The book of numbers) The book has many episode lots of pictures. Manyinteresting story in the book. That is great. The book is my No1 favorite! I love "NUMBERS" and history of numbers. I'm really interesting in numbers.

First I had interesting in the Numerology. The Numerology fascinate me soon. Then I'm interesting in religious of history、 tarot and math. The numbers are very close to us. I read your postscript of the book. I would to tell you "my find out of numbers". If you still know the my find out of numbers story、 I'm sorry. also my english is not good...like a puzzle. I'm so sorry too.

I had interesting in AMICABLE NUMBERS(PAIR)

"THE AMICABLE PAIR IS PERFECT PERTNER OF DESTINED TO BECAME TOGETHFR"

I think 、it's very romantic. Then I want to know "The chemistry of amicable pair(each other)" Then I checked the amicable pair.

(my find out)

[a numerology rule]

ex) 220 : 2+2+0 =4

284 : 2+8+4=14 1+4=5

Single figures(1〜9)

ex) 220 284 =4 5

I checked for 100 of amicable pair from smaller.

So Single figures、

1,8 (also 8 ,1)= 23

2,7　　　 　　 = 33

4,5　　　 　　 = 26

9,9　　　 　　 = 14

￣￣

96

(others)

3,6 = 1

6,9 = 2

6,6 = 1

￣￣

4

1〜9 pair = 45patterns.

BUT Almost pair are 4pattern. 96/100

AND

1+8= 9

2+7= 9

4+5= 9

9+9=18 1+8= 9

3+6= 9

6+9=15 1+5= 6

6+6=12 1+2= 3

5/7 = became 9

7/7 = multiples of 3

AND

Become the even number when add bottom one column of the odd pair.

ex) 12285 , 14595

5+5=10

ex) 69615, 87633

5+3=8

AMICABLE PAIR in Japanese = 友愛数。

友=Friend、 愛=Love、数=Number.

SO I think、 AMICABLE PAIR(NUMBER) become the even number divisible peacefully.

They are so lovely. I want to share the lovely story with you. NUMBERS SO INTERESTING AND BEAUTIFUL. Thank you very much.

I just finished reading your wonderful book. I wish I had a copy of this book before I started teaching HS math 12 years ago! Among the many great stories of the greats in the book, I also found countless facts which clarified and improved my own approach to teaching math. I have been telling my algebra and geometry kids for years, for example, that the word "tangent" has different meanings in math (sometimes a line touching a circle, sometimes a trig function), but now I know they're one and the same! I have also been telling my kids that one day we will be able to divide by zero, and when that happens we will develop new technologies just as the knowledge of complex numbers laid the foundation for electric power; well, your demonstration of the division algorithm regarding the issue made it clear that a division by zero is meaningless in any math like ours since if a/0 = b then a must be zero, which is normally not true; also the discussion of indeterminate forms was very enlightening and now, believe it or not, I'm skeptical about the use of the infinity symbol at all, even in calculus--but that's another story...

I would like to purchase a copy of your book for all my most promising students to read. Thanks again and yours truly,

German - Primus

Dutch - Fontaine Uitgevers

Spanish - Editorial Paidos

French - Eyrolles

French Canadian - Reader's Digest

Japanese - Yu-Shokan

Korean - SKK University

Brazilian Portuguese - Larousse

Turkish - Domingo

So far I've only seen the UK, US and German versions so hopefully they'll mail some of these to me soon!