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The Secret Lives of Numbers: The Curious Truth Behind Everyday Digits [Hardcover]

Michael Millar (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
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Book Description

Publication Date: 30 Aug 2012

This is a book for the observant and the curious. A book for people who take in their surroundings and wonder at the smallest detail: why? Above all, it's a book about numbers - those that surround us every day, and the intriguing stories behind them.

From the 7-day week to 24-carat gold, Chanel No. 5 to five-star luxury, The Secret Lives of Numbers figures out the mysterious background to the numbers we encounter on a daily basis. Revealing the facts behind those figures, author Michael Millar outlines where to spot each digit, what it means and how it came to be in meticulously researched and entertaining entries, creating an absorbing and intelligent book that's perfect for any numbers fan. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3...

Entries include: sports shirt numbers, firearms calibres, TV ratings, football rankings, poker scores, suncream factors, A4 paper, and more.

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The Secret Lives of Numbers: The Curious Truth Behind Everyday Digits + How to be Really Well Informed in Minutes
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Product details

  • Hardcover: 192 pages
  • Publisher: Virgin Books (30 Aug 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 075354086X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0753540862
  • Product Dimensions: 20 x 13.2 x 2.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 181,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's (Journalist) Michael Millar Page
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Product Description

Book Description

The curious histories of everyday numbers are revealed in this fascinating gift book

From the Inside Flap

This is a book for the observant and the curious. A book for people who take in their surroundings and wonder at the smallest detail: why? Above all, it's a book about numbers - those that surround us every day, and the intriguing stories behind them.

From A4 paper to 24-carat gold, Chanel No. 5 to 5-star luxury, 10 Downing Street to the ubiquitous price tag £9.99, The Secret Lives of Numbers reveals the curious background to the numbers we encounter on a daily basis. Have you ever thought about international dialling codes - how come the USA got pole position 00 1 but the UK only lowly 44? Why do we have a 7-day week, when the Soviets once had a 5-day week, and the French originally had a 10-day week? Why do we avoid unlucky 13 - and how can it be lucky for some?

Exposing the facts behind the figures, this entertaining book has it all figured out.

See all Product Description

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Customer Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
6 reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars definitely worth a buy.... 1 Oct 2012
By benjaminchiou
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Such a great book. Each story is witty and informative. An interesting factual book yet an incredibly entertaining piece of work. Definitely worth a read!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant 10 Dec 2012
By Sass Alessi
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
If like me you enjoy all kinds of odd bod books full of useless bits and pieces of information that you just don't find anywhere else. I love this book, it is just completely interesting
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Secret lives of numbers 20 Dec 2012
By Mrs G Leggett
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Book wasn't as interesting as I'd thought it would be but there were some interesting facts, just not as good as I thought it would be
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3.0 out of 5 stars Not the 'mystery' I was expecting..... 8 May 2013
By The Lady Reviewer
Format:Hardcover
When I bought this book, I was attracted to title 'The Secret Lives of Numbers' and the 'mysterious stories are exposed'. I didn't have any more information at the time of ordering and from the title, I presumed it would be about mystical theories and superstitions behind numbers such as with the master numbers. The book instead, gives more logical reasons for things such as: why we have a leap day, E-numbers, Gold carats, Dart-board design etc. It IS informative in it's own right (albeit briefly), but for a different reason than I was expecting and wanting :(
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3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I was expecting 11 Feb 2013
By Mr C Morrison
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was disappointed in this book as I expected more in depth mathematics, instead it is more a history of the everday numbers in our lives.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant 3 Jan 2013
By John Argy
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Excellent book, full of all those numbery things you thought you would never need to know but find out that you do (if like me you are a bit nerdy, that is). In the same vein as some of the QI books, so if you like those, you'd probably like this.
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