The Long and the Short of It by Graeme Donald

The Long and the Short of It by Graeme Donald

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? This book explores the origins and evolution of a huge variety of different units of measurement. It answers such questions as: Why do we measure time in units of 60? How do you determine the height of a mountain when sea level keeps changing? Why did the length of a mile once depend on where you came from? What's the width of a horse's backside got to do with NASA's booster rockets? Packed with fascinating stories, this is an intriguing guide to the many systems of measurement that make sense of our daily lives, from pounds and parsecs to bushels and barricades.

Graeme Donald is the author of a number of books about history, the meaning of words and popular misconceptions, including When the Earth was Flat, The Accidental Scientist, The Long and the Short of It and Learn on the Loo. His writing has also appeared in many newspapers.

SKU	Non disponible
ISBN 13	9781782436287
ISBN 10	1782436286
Titre	The Long and the Short of It
Auteur	Graeme Donald
État	Non disponible
Type de reliure	Hardback
Éditeur	Michael O'Mara Books Ltd
Année de publication	2016-09-29
Nombre de pages	192
Note de couverture	La photo du livre est présentée à titre d'illustration uniquement. La reliure, la couverture ou l'édition réelle peuvent varier.
Note	Non disponible