Malba Tahan is the creation of a celebrated Brazilian
mathematician looking for a way to bring some of the
mysteries and pleasures of mathematics to a wider public.
The adventures of Beremiz Samir, The Man Who Counted,
take the reader on a journey in which, time and again, Samir
summons his extraordinary mathematical powers to settle
disputes, give wise advice, overcome dangerous enemies,
and win for himself fame, fortune, and rich rewards. We
learn of previous mathematicians and come to admire Samir's
wisdom and patience. In the grace of Tahan's telling, these
stories hold unusual delights for the reader.

Júlio César de Mello e Souza, a Brazilian mathematician, published more than one hundred books under the name Malba Tahan. Even after his identity was exposed, he wrote as Tahan until his death in 1974.