What kind of people were those who created mathematics, from the ancient Greeks to Poincaré? 

With an emphasis on the personalities of these great mathematicians, with vivid references to the spirit of each era and the social, political, philosophical, or religious context in which the great mathematical ideas were born and developed, sometimes with encouragement, but more often with the hostility or narrow-mindedness of this social environment, the book presents, in the form of a novelistic biography, with much humor, often sarcasm, but always with the sparkling spirit of the author, the achievements of mathematical science. The great mathematicians have played a role in the evolution of science comparable to that played by philosophers and physical scientists. However, the basic ideas with which mathematics has been woven are simple, beautiful, and within the understanding of any person with average intelligence. 

Through this enjoyable and witty book, the reader will gain valuable knowledge, as well as a unique experience of the way sciences evolve, guided by the lives of their creators.