Infinite Powers by Steven Strogatz part 1 of 2

We will discuss chapters 1-5 of Infinite Powers by Steven Strogatz. From the book description:

Steven Strogatz’s brilliantly creative, down to earth history shows that calculus is not about complexity; it’s about simplicity. It harnesses an unreal number—infinity—to tackle real world problems, breaking them down into easier ones and then reassembling the answers into solutions that feel miraculous.