The volume contains, for the first time in German, fundamental themes of Chinese and Indian mathematics that lay the groundwork for later inquiries. The invaluable role that Islamic scholars played in the development of algebra and the dissemination of the numeral system is illustrated through exemplary episodes. It entertainingly describes how Fibonacci brought the Eastern problem-solving culture to Italy. Numerous examples demonstrate the new commercial arithmetic, whose methods spread throughout Europe. In Germany, a new generation of calculation masters emerges, who, with their writings published for the first time in print, bring about an immense popularization of arithmetic. Surprising insights into history are provided in the chapters about the transmission of mathematical knowledge in monasteries and universities.