Much Ado About Numbers

“2024 Mathical Book Award for Grades 9–12 A Bloomberg Best Book of 2024 “Presents the Bard’s characters as calculating in a way you probably never considered… . This quirky little book will multiply the fun for any general reader interested in adding to their understanding of Shakespeare.” – Ron Charles, The Washington Post“A highly readable nonfiction account of two great subjects: Shakespeare and the mathematics of his day. Shakespeare’s surprising yet unsurprising mathematical sophistication led to some of his most creative feats of problem-solving and can inspire us all to learn from different fields.” – A Bloomberg Best Book of 2024, selected by Chris Flowers, CEO and chairman of private equity firm J.C. Flowers & Co.“This entertaining history … succeeds in outlining the mathematical and scientific ideas that trickled into the Bard’s plays. This idiosyncratic study will help readers better understand the world that shaped Shakespeare’s writings.” – Publishers Weekly“A fascinating and hugely entertaining guide to Shakespearean mathematics.” – Professor Sarah Hart, author of Once Upon A Prime“A spectacular journey … Highly recommended!” – Dr. Simon Smith, The Shakespeare Institute“A playful and engaging book … bound to excite the appetite of all Shakespeare junkies.” – Patrick Spottiswoode, Founder, Shakespeare’s Globe Education“Instead of cleaving math and English in twain, Eastaway brings them together to surprise and delight the reader.” – Dr. Rebecca Fisher, The English Association“You can count on both Rob Eastaway and Shakespeare to make mathematics entertaining, never more so than in this elegant tome which will make your Pericles tingle as you like it.” – Sir Tim Rice“This entertaining look at what really counts in the tragedies, comedies and histories… has plenty of history, science, language and, yes, number stuff here, such as a clever reference in “Othello” to a week as “Eight score 8 hours,” which, it turns out, is exactly how long a week is.” – Orange County Register

Rob Eastaway has authored and coauthored several bestselling books that connect math with everyday life, including Why Do Buses Come in Threes? and How Many Socks Make a Pair? He is the director of Maths Inspiration, an interactive lecture program that has reached over 250,000 teenagers in England the last twenty years.