How Long Is a Piece of String?
Published on 2. April 2014
300 pages
978-1-909396-61-6 (ISBN)
Description
Why do weather forecasters get it wrong? What are the best tactics for playing
"Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and "The Weakest Link"? And what is the link
between a tin of baked beans and a men's urinal? These and many other
questions are answered in this book. It is for anyone wanting to remind
themselves - or discover for the first time - that maths is relevant to almost
everything we do. Dating, cooking, travelling by car, gambling and ranking
sportsmen all have links with intriguing mathematical problems that are
explained in this book. It reveals the secrets behind some of the best con tricks
and the hidden workings of the taxi meter, and explains how epidemics start
and stop.
"Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and "The Weakest Link"? And what is the link
between a tin of baked beans and a men's urinal? These and many other
questions are answered in this book. It is for anyone wanting to remind
themselves - or discover for the first time - that maths is relevant to almost
everything we do. Dating, cooking, travelling by car, gambling and ranking
sportsmen all have links with intriguing mathematical problems that are
explained in this book. It reveals the secrets behind some of the best con tricks
and the hidden workings of the taxi meter, and explains how epidemics start
and stop.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Minneapolis
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Product notice
Reflowable
File size
2,76 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-909396-61-6 (9781909396616)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
09/2008
Portico
€29.89
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Person
Rob Eastaway is a writer, speaker and consultant. His books include the bestselling What is a Googly? (9781861056290) and Why Do Buses Come In Threes? (9781861058621). He jointly devised the system now used to officially rank international cricketers and lives in London, where he is a keen weekend cricketer and occasional golfer.
Content
- Intro
- Title page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1. Why Does Monday Come Round So Quickly?
- 2. How Do Conmen Get Rich?
- 3. What Makes a Hit Single?
- 4. Why Won't the Case Fit in the Boot?
- 5. Should I Phone a Friend?
- 6. Is it Quicker to Take the Stairs?
- 7. How Long Is a Piece of String?
- 8. Why Do Weather Forecasters Get it Wrong?
- 9. Will I Catch Flu Next Winter?
- 10. Am I Being Taken for a Ride?
- 11. Will I Ever Meet the Perfect Partner?
- 12. Is It a Fake?
- 13. Will the Underdog Win?
- 14. Why Do Karaoke Singers Sound So Bad?
- 15. How Can I Be Sure?
- 16. Can I Trust What I Read in the Papers?
- References and Further Reading
- Index
