Why is 7 such a lucky number and 13 so unlucky? Why does a jury traditionally have '12 good men and true', and why are there 24 hours in the day and 60 seconds in a minute? This fascinating new book explores the world of numbers from pin numbers to book titles, and from the sixfold shape of snowflakes to the way our roads, houses and telephone numbers are designated in fact and fiction. Using the numbers themselves as its starting point it investigates everything from the origins and meaning of counting in early civilizations to numbers in proverbs, myths and nursery rhymes and the ancient 'science' of numerology. It also focuses on the quirks of odds and evens, primes, on numbers in popular sports - and much, much more.
So whether you've ever wondered why Heinz has 57 varieties, why 999 is the UK's emergency phone number but 911 is used in America, why Coco Chanel chose No. 5 for her iconic perfume, or how the title Catch 22 was chosen, then this is the book for you. Dip in anywhere and you'll find that numbers are not just for adding and measuring but can be hugely entertaining and informative whether you're buying a diamond or choosing dinner from the menu.
AUTHOR: Ruth Binney has been fascinated by the world and the way it works since childhood. She holds a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and has been involved in countless publications during her career as an editor. She is a best-selling author, having published numerous book on the countryside, folklore and mythology, gardening and cooking, and has made frequent BBC radio broadcasts. Ruth lives in Yeovil, Somerset.
By:
Ruth Binney
Imprint: RYDON
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 198mm,
Width: 148mm,
ISBN: 9781910821176
ISBN 10: 1910821179
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 01 May 2019
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified
1 Introduction 8 2 Numbers of many sorts 10 3 Numbers and counting 12 4 1 - The number of unity 17 5 2 - The duality 19 6 3 - The trinity of perfection 21 7 4 - Truth and justice 23 8 5 - The number of nature 26 9 6 - Without a fault Six and the snowflake 29 10 7 - The symbol of fortune 32 11 The seven wonders of the world 35 12 Puzzles to solve 37 13 8 - Harmony and balance 38 14 9 - Unbounded 40 15 The nine muses 43 16 10 - On our fingers and toes 44 17 11 - The final hour 46 18 12 - A number in time 47 19 The twelve labours of Hercules 49 20 13 - And other teens 53 21 0 - The story of zero 54 22 Lucky - and unlucky - numbers 56 23 Odds and evens 59 24 Many favourite numbers 60 25 The secrets of numerology 62 26 Big numbers 66 27 Small numbers 68 28 The appeal of primes 69 29 Making shapes with numbers 72 30 Numbers - more different types 74 31 - the most famous number 75 32 Fibonacci - the brilliant number sequence 77 33 The golden ratio 79 34 Numbers in use 81 35 The world we live in 84 36 Our planet earth 86 37 Lines on the map 89 38 Measuring the world 94 39 A matter of weight 98 40 By volume 101 41 More about money 104 42 Inventing the calendar 106 43 Time and the circle 109 44 The living world 110 45 The human body 114 46 A number for your home 120 47 Addresses in fiction 121 48 A dark history 123 49 The streets of power 124 50 Numbers for the post 126 51 Roads to take - navigating by numbers 127 52 The number to call 130 53 PIN - what's your number? 132 54 Edible connections 134 55 Sizing up our drinks 137 56 Of yarns, fabrics and clothes 139 57 All that glitters 140 58 Beauty by numbers 142 59 For our leisure and entertainment 144 60 Proverbs and sayings 146 61 Bingo lingo 147 62 Books with numbers 149 63 In the film title 156 64 Counting in song 161 65 Jazz numbers 163 66 A musical miscellany 165 67 Poetry's secrets revealed 167 68 The beautiful game 170 69 The oval ball game - rugby football 174 70 The game of golf 176 71 Throwing darts 178 72 Cricket - bat on ball 179 73 On court - the game of tennis 182 74 Snooker and other cue games 185 75 The game of baseball 187 76 Chancing your luck 189 77 Throwing dice 192 78 Playing dominoes 194 79 Solving the square 195 80 Index 200 81 About the author 208
Ruth Binney has been fascinated by the world and the way it works since childhood. She holds a degree in Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and has been involved in countless publications during her career as an editor. She is a best-selling author, having published numerous book on the countryside, folklore and mythology, gardening and cooking, and has made frequent BBC radio broadcasts. Ruth lives in Yeovil, Somerset.
