Book excerpt: Rogerson's Book of Numbers tells the stories behind our iconic numbers. It is based on a numerical array of virtues, spiritual attributes, gods, devils, sacred cities, powers, calendars, heroes, saints, icons and cultural symbols. It provides a dazzling mass of information for those intrigued by the many roles numbers play in folklore and popular culture, in music and poetry, and in the many religions, cultures and belief systems of our world. The stories unfold from millions to zero: from the number of the beast (666) to the seven deadly sins, the twelve signs of the zodiac to the four suits of a pack of cards. Along the way you will discover why Genghis Khan built a city of 108 towers, how Dante forged his Divine Comedy on the number eleven, and why thirteen is so unlucky in the west while fourteen is the number to avoid in China. Now available as a paperback, this is your pocket-book guide to the numerical mysteries of the universe.