"Explores the rise of the idea of nothing in Western modernity and how this idea is transforming and offering new possibilities"--Provided by publisher.

Explores the concept of nothingness, from the origins of zero in ancient India to attempts by modern mathematics, cosmology, theology, and physics to explain the role of "nothing" in the structure of the universe.

A professor of mathematics who claims to be an expert at nothing partners with an aspiring villain who wants to break into Fort Knox to steal a shoebox containing nothing, with the help of a brainwashed astrophysicist.

"The Dutch people are some of the happiest in the world. Their secret? They are masters of niksen, or the art of doing nothing"-- Niksen is not a form of meditation, or is it a state of laziness or boredom. To niks is to make a conscious choice to sit back, let go, and do nothing at all. Mecking shows readers how to take a break from all the busyness-- with heartfelt permission to do nothing. -- adapted from back cover