Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
42 used & new from £1.38
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
How Long Is a Piece of String?
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

How Long Is a Piece of String? (Paperback)

by Rob Eastaway (Author), Jeremy Wyndham (Author) "In a book about everyday maths, what better place to start than the mathematics of the day itself, and of Monday in particular? ..." (more)
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
Price: £5.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.00 (25%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 14? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
18 new from £3.15 24 used from £1.38
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 3 used & new from £8.00

Frequently Bought Together

How Long Is a Piece of String? + Why Do Buses Come in Threes?: The Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life + How Many Socks Make a Pair?: Surprisingly Interesting Everyday Maths
Price For All Three: £21.97

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Why Do Buses Come in Threes?: The Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life

Why Do Buses Come in Threes?: The Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life

by Jeremy Wyndham
4.4 out of 5 stars (13)  £5.99
How Many Socks Make a Pair?: Surprisingly Interesting Everyday Maths

How Many Socks Make a Pair?: Surprisingly Interesting Everyday Maths

by Rob Eastaway
4.8 out of 5 stars (6)  £9.99
Beating the Odds: The Hidden Mathematics of Sport

Beating the Odds: The Hidden Mathematics of Sport

by Rob Eastaway
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £5.49
Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities

Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities

by Ian Stewart
3.9 out of 5 stars (13)  £5.49
1089 and All That - A Journey into Mathematics

1089 and All That - A Journey into Mathematics

by David Acheson
4.9 out of 5 stars (9)  £14.29
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 228 pages
  • Publisher: Robson Books Ltd; New edition edition (28 Jul 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1861056257
  • ISBN-13: 978-1861056252
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 1.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 6,657 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #1 in  Books > Sports, Hobbies & Games > Hobbies & Games > Puzzles & Quizzes > Mathematical Games
    #3 in  Books > Science & Nature > Mathematics > Recreational
    #4 in  Books > Reference > Fun Facts & Trivia > Curiosities, Imponderables & Wonders

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
Cheating Spouse Secrets
   www.CheatingWantToKnow.com    Find out if your Spouse is Cheating on YOU 
  
 

Product Description

Review
""It is rare for a book about mathematics to be as engaging as this."" --New Scientist

Product Description
Why do weather forecasters get it wrong? What are the best tactics for playing "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" and "The Weakest Link"? And what is the link between a tin of baked beans and a men's urinal? These and many other questions are answered in this book. It is for anyone wanting to remind themselves - or discover for the first time - that maths is relevant to almost everything we do. Dating, cooking, travelling by car, gambling and ranking sportsmen all have links with intriguing mathematical problems that are explained in this book. It reveals the secrets behind some of the best con tricks and the hidden workings of the taxi meter, and explains how epidemics start and stop.

See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
In a book about everyday maths, what better place to start than the mathematics of the day itself, and of Monday in particular? Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
Check the boxes next to the tags you consider relevant or enter your own tags in the field below
(2)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

How Long Is a Piece of String?
73% buy the item featured on this page:
How Long Is a Piece of String? 4.2 out of 5 stars (11)
£5.99
Why Do Buses Come in Threes?: The Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life
12% buy
Why Do Buses Come in Threes?: The Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life 4.4 out of 5 stars (13)
£5.99
Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities
8% buy
Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities 3.9 out of 5 stars (13)
£5.49
How Many Socks Make a Pair?: Surprisingly Interesting Everyday Maths
4% buy
How Many Socks Make a Pair?: Surprisingly Interesting Everyday Maths 4.8 out of 5 stars (6)
£9.99
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

11 Reviews
5 star:
 (6)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent - stimulating examples of maths in everyday life, 20 May 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: How Long is a Piece of String?: More Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life (Hardcover)
As a university maths teacher, I thoroughly enjoyed the authors' previous "Why do buses come in threes", not only as a stimulating read but as an excellent source of interesting examples for my classes in mathematical modelling. The successor is just as good - indeed, I think it's even better. Topics include how to write a hit song, tactics for quiz show contestants, detecting fraud and how to reduce lift waiting times, and even for a voracious reader of popular maths books like me there were plenty of new ideas. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on how spin doctors present information. Very strongly recommended!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and funny!, 2 Feb 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: How Long is a Piece of String?: More Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life (Hardcover)
I bought this book out of curiosity - I've never been all that interested in maths, but some of the chapters looked interesting - like how best to play TV quiz shows, why the days of the week are called what they are, and so on.

The authors say that the main reason for including something in this book was that it had to keep them entertained down the pub - and I'd agree entirely!

It's funny and covers a wide choice of subjects, includes some puzzles (don't worry they include the answers too!), and even discusses how best to meet the love of your life (statistically speaking).

You don't need a degree in maths to get your head round it, the chapters are nice and short, all in all it's a very entertaining book. You will find yourself quoting it all over the place after you've read it!!

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Fun, 8 Jul 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: How Long is a Piece of String?: More Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life (Hardcover)
It's amazing the amount of work that mathematicians have to do, to solve the problems of everyday life. This book explains the numbers behind the weather, bookmakers and dating agencies. Amongst all the calculations, it is comforting to know that often the lateral-thinking solutions are the best. For instance, lift-engineers have to know a lot of theory to keep their customers waiting for the least time, but the best solution was to put mirrors in front of the lifts, so that people didn't realise how long they were waiting as they were too busy preening themselves! Well worth buying for the clever inside information alone.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars More fun with numbers in everyday life
The sequel to another book by the same authors, Why do buses come in threes?, this book is not quite as strong as its predecessor, but it still has plenty of interest... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Peter Durward Harris

4.0 out of 5 stars Great but the proof reader needs sacking
This book is enormous fun and highly intelligent and presents maths the way teachers should do in schools: that way the children would be much more engaged and enthused by the... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Charles

3.0 out of 5 stars The authors are badly let down by the publishers
It's an interesting book which I am enjoying reading. My criticism is that it is absolutely riddled with typos. Read more
Published 6 months ago by scandalxk

3.0 out of 5 stars A Book For All Occasions
This book was an enjoyable read. It was a nice, light paperback that could be picked up to fill in a few minutes at the end of a period of study or used to wind down after a hard... Read more
Published on 10 Oct 2006 by Ed the Ted

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining for all
I AM a mathematician and had come across a few of the things in far more detail in other books before - which I'd also liked. Read more
Published on 1 May 2006 by Steve B

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly entertaining book
I thought this was an excllent book - full of interesting real-life situations and the maths that you never knew underpinned them. Read more
Published on 8 May 2003 by Richard Harris

5.0 out of 5 stars Stimulating, wide-ranging and entertaining
As somebody who hasn't seriously touched any maths since my A level 20 years ago, I found this book a fascinating read. Read more
Published on 25 Mar 2003

2.0 out of 5 stars Too simple
This book has been rated too high so far in my opinion by other customers. I am a self taught mathematics fan and consider this book as hardly chalenging at all, which is one of... Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2003

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]

   

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

›Discover Health & Beauty

  

More From Robert Eastaway

What Is a...

What Is a Googly? by Rob Eastaway

Have you ever been in the position of watching a game of cricket with... Read more

 

Boys Smell

Lynx Africa Body Spray and After Shave Gift set
But we make sure they smell good...

›Discover male grooming at Amazon.co.uk

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (75)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (464)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (165)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (81)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates