This survey traces the roots of e, the base of natural logarithms, from the 16th century to the present, providing glimpses along the way of the mathematicians who were crucial to its founding. Maor also explores the relationship of e to music, art, biology, and physics. The material is understandable to anyone with a solid, but not advanced, background in mathematics.
Appendixes feature longer, more intricate equations.
Originally published in hardcover in 1994.