{"title":"Warwick Cairns","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"about-the-size-of-it-book-warwick-cairns-9780230016286","title":"About The Size Of It","description":"About the Size of It is a serious, but seriously funny book about measuring things.   Readers will find out why an old Wellington boot is as important an instrument of spacial awareness as was ever invented; why the size of a space shuttle's fuel tanks has more to do with the proportions of a horse's rump than rocket science; and why how tired your ox gets, how much water it takes to drown you, and how much you can hold in one hand while doing something else are all essential principles that explain how man has balanced and judged his world since the dawn of time.   In part a case for the continued use of traditional British measures, this book also celebrates the richness and commonality of systems from around the world, and how they were formed by the one guiding principle of measurement no one ever mentions: that most of us have better things to think about.   'Fun and fascinating - the secrets and tricks of how we measure the world around us' Conn Iggulden   'A full and convincing account of why our well-tried and trusted traditional measures make human sense' Alexander McCall Smith   'His direct, engaging conversational prose is a delight to read... inspirational' Andrew Roberts   'Absolutely masterly. Lucid and wise and touching and absolutely right'  Jilly Cooper","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49505590149393,"sku":"GOR002327823","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53458035376401,"sku":"GOR003454376","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0230016286.jpg?v=1751291059"},{"product_id":"about-the-size-of-it-book-warwick-cairns-9781447291473","title":"About The Size Of It","description":"Why does the size of a space shuttle's fuel tanks have more to do with a horse's rump than rocket science? Is there a correlation between the humble pint and the capacity of the human bladder? And why is an old Wellington boot as important an instrument of spacial awareness as was ever invented? About the Size of It is a hugely entertaining history of traditional weights and measures that will make you look at your everyday world in a completely different way . . .   'A full and convincing account of why our well-tried and trusted traditional measures make human sense' Alexander McCall Smith   'His direct, engaging conversational prose is a delight to read... inspirational' Andrew Roberts   'Absolutely masterly. Lucid and wise and touching and absolutely right'  Jilly Cooper","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49523005849873,"sku":"GOR009096879","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52586504356113,"sku":"NLS9781447291473","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1447291476.jpg?v=1751403951"},{"product_id":"about-the-size-of-it-book-warwick-cairns-9780330450300","title":"About The Size Of It","description":"Why does the size of a space shuttle's fuel tanks have more to do with a horse's rump than rocket science? Is there a correlation between the humble pint and the capacity of the human bladder? And why is an old Wellington boot as important an instrument of spacial awareness as was ever invented? About the Size of It is a hugely entertaining history of traditional weights and measures that will make you look at your everyday world in a completely different way . . .   'A full and convincing account of why our well-tried and trusted traditional measures make human sense' Alexander McCall Smith   'His direct, engaging conversational prose is a delight to read... inspirational' Andrew Roberts   'Absolutely masterly. Lucid and wise and touching and absolutely right'  Jilly Cooper","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49534359929105,"sku":"GOR003558591","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52512108052753,"sku":"GOR010624263","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0330450301.jpg?v=1751435479"},{"product_id":"how-to-live-dangerously-book-warwick-cairns-9780230712218","title":"How to Live Dangerously","description":"A brilliantly entertaining polemic about the need to embrace risk, and live your life to the full","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49577072787729,"sku":"GOR011367453","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49580687327505,"sku":"GOR001367597","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49709245333777,"sku":"CIN0230712215G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51703548870929,"sku":"GOR002119633","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52329734668561,"sku":"GOR004615848","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0230712215.jpg?v=1751432989"},{"product_id":"in-praise-of-savagery-book-warwick-cairns-9780007414031","title":"In Praise of Savagery","description":"One man’s journey in the footsteps of a great explorer into the heart of Africa.             As a young man, Warwick Cairns met the then elderly explorer Wilfred Thesiger and the two men struck up an unlikely friendship. Invited to visit him at his African home, Cairns decides to make a bit of an adventure of it and do some of the journey on foot.             When he himself was a young man, Thesiger led an expedition to explore the course of the Awash river in Ethiopia. Every westerner that had gone before him had been killed by local tribesmen. Needless to say, he survived.             Alternating chapters chart Warwick’s journey with that of Thesiger creating a captivating dual narrative that is part travel book, part biography, part autobiography, part history with fair doses of philosophy and humour thrown in for good measure.             In Praise of Savagery is a highly original book that defies classification but is always effortlessly readable.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49621028569361,"sku":"GOR003047037","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51296033014033,"sku":"GOR003012886","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52495145074961,"sku":"GOR013564711","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/000741403X.jpg?v=1750779041"},{"product_id":"about-the-size-of-it-the-common-sense-approach-to-measuring-things-rare-book-warwick-cairns-1681410182lee","title":"About The Size Of It: The Common Sense Approach To Measuring Things","description":"2007. First Edition. 155 pages. Signed by the author. Pictorial dust jacket over black cloth. Flat signed by author to title page. Black and white photographs and illustrations throughout. Binding rem","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50078158160145,"sku":"1681410182LEE","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1681410182LEE_1.jpg?v=1722896834"},{"product_id":"how-to-live-dangerously-book-warwick-cairns-9780312533892","title":"How to Live Dangerously","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWarwick Cairns' \u003ci\u003eHow to Live Dangerously\u003c\/i\u003e is a no-nonsense, wonderfully entertaining manifesto on the real dangers of modern life, and an inspiring lesson in why we could all stand to worry a little less and live a whole lot more.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e We live in a world governed by fear. Fear of second-hand smoke, bacteria, terrorists, bird flu, nuclear energy. The world isn't as safe a place as it once was, as 78 percent of Americans agree. And yet, life expectancy has never been higher. Crime rates have plunged. Even unintentional injuries are down more than fifty percent from half a century ago. So if we're so safe, why are we so afraid?\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eHow to Live Dangerously\u003c\/i\u003e is a hilarious, straight-talking look at the things that terrify us. It considers life's \u003ci\u003ereal\u003c\/i\u003e risks, not to mention the often ridiculous methods we've contrived to keep ourselves \"safe.\" It encourages you to ignore fearmongers and embrace a new kind of freedom, in which we all worry a little less--and live a whole lot more.\u003c\/p\u003e ole lot more.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50347557683473,"sku":"CIN0312533896A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51735982670097,"sku":"CIN0312533896VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52734883660049,"sku":"NIN9780312533892","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0312533896.jpg?v=1750813208"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-warwick-cairns.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}