Secret Lives of Numbers (eBook)

This is a book for the observant and the curious. A book for people who take in their surroundings and wonder at the smallest detail: why? Above all, it's a book about numbers - those that surround us every day, and the intriguing stories behind them.

From the 7-day week to 24-carat gold, Chanel No. 5 to five-star luxury, The Secret Lives of Numbers figures out the mysterious background to the numbers we encounter on a daily basis. Revealing the facts behind those figures, author Michael Millar outlines where to spot each digit, what it means and how it came to be in meticulously researched and entertaining entries, creating an absorbing and intelligent book that's perfect for any numbers fan. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3...

Entries include: sports shirt numbers, firearms calibres, TV ratings, football rankings, poker scores, suncream factors, A4 paper, and more.

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This is a book for the observant and the curious. A book for people who take in their surroundings and wonder at the smallest detail: why? Above all, it's a book about numbers - those that surround us every day, and the intriguing stories behind them.

From A4 paper to 24-carat gold, Chanel No. 5 to 5-star luxury, 10 Downing Street to the ubiquitous price tag 9.99, The Secret Lives of Numbers reveals the curious background to the numbers we encounter on a daily basis. Have you ever thought about international dialling codes - how come the USA got pole position 00 1 but the UK only lowly 44? Why do we have a 7-day week, when the Soviets once had a 5-day week, and the French originally had a 10-day week? Why do we avoid unlucky 13 - and how can it be lucky for some?

Exposing the facts behind the figures, this entertaining book has it all figured out.

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This is a book for the observant and the curious. A book for people who take in their surroundings and wonder at the smallest detail: why? Above all, it's a book about numbers - those that surround us every day, and the intriguing stories behind them. From the 7-day week to 24-carat gold, Chanel No. 5 to five-star luxury, The Secret Lives of Numbers figures out the mysterious background to the numbers we encounter on a daily basis. Revealing the facts behind those figures, author Michael Millar outlines where to spot each digit, what it means and how it came to be in meticulously researched and entertaining entries, creating an absorbing and intelligent book that's perfect for any numbers fan. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3...Entries include: sports shirt numbers, firearms calibres, TV ratings, football rankings, poker scores, suncream factors, A4 paper, and more.