We’ve always measured the world around us, from how big things are, to how fast they go, how much they’re worth and practically everything in between. But who decided how we do it, and why? The Long and the Short of It takes us back in time to discover the origins and evolution of a huge variety of different units of measurement. On the way it answers such questions as: Why do we meas…
Ever wondered how many dimples there are on a golf ball; or why the shipping forecast is broadcast on 198 kHz long wave? Find yourself puzzling over what is really going on in the 273 seconds of John Cage’s most famous composition? Then this book of mind-boggling number facts is for you. The Book of 365 offers an entertaining and thought-provoking mini-essay on the world around us for ever…