Infinitesimal - How a Dangerous Mathematical Theory Shaped the Modern World

On August 10, 1632, five Jesuits convened in a sombre Roman palazzo to pass judgment on a simple idea: that a continuous line is composed of distinct and limitlessly tiny parts. This would become the foundation of calculus. But with the stroke of a pen, the judges banned the idea, setting off a war for the soul of the modern world. The legitimacy of popes and kings, as well as our modern beliefs in human liberty and science, hung in the balance; the answer hinged on the infinitesimal. Pulsing with drama and excitement, Infinitesimal will forever change the way you look at a simple line.