Arithmetical Prodigies by E.W. Scripture is a remarkable paper about remarkable people. Published in 1891, it gives the first comprehensive account of those individuals who have displayed an astonishing capacity for mental calculation. The numerous and fascinating biographies alone make this work a 'must read' for anyone with a taste for the curious and sensational. The paper can also lay claim to being one of the first works of popular psychology. Its style - essentially that of a treatise that reads like a novel - has been replicated right through to the present day. In short, Scripture's Arithmetical Prodigies is a perplexing and awe inspiring classic that, despite its title, can be enjoyed by even the least mathematically inclined. - Robert Fountain
The American Journal of Psychology, 1891, vol. 4, no. 1; 59 pages.
word count: 20872 which is equivalent to 83 standard pages of text