Sum Total Equals Awesome

You are the sum total of everything you’ve ever seen, heard, eaten, smelled, been told, forgot - it’s all there. Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are positive.

Maya Angelou

The history of mathematics in written form, according to Wikipedia , dates back to 3000 BC in the “Mesopotamian states of Sumer, Akkad and Assyria, followed closely by Ancient Egypt and the Levantine state of Ebla began using arithmetic, algebra and geometry for purposes of taxation, commerce, trade and also in the patterns in nature, the field of astronomy and to record time and formulate calendars.” There’s also evidence from 60,000 years ago that suggests prehistoric people were counting based on a piece of bone that has 9 parallel notches carved into it. And it’s not just humans. Recent studies, for instance, show that “fish, bees and newborn chicks can instantly recognize quantities up to four, a skill known as subitizing.”

About the author

Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees. Angelou is best known for her series of seven autobiographies, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), tells of her life up to the age of 17 and brought her international recognition and acclaim.