William Hartston

Like it or not, our lives are dominated by mathematics. Our daily diet of news regales us with statistical forecasts, opinion polls, risk assessments, inflation figures, weather and climate predictions and all sorts of political decisions and advice backed up by supposedly accurate numbers. Most of us do not even pause and question such figures even to ask what they really mean and whether they raise more questions than they answer. We let the figures wash over us with no more than a glance. In this simple guide for anyone numbed by numbers, William Hartston explains with clarity and humor how to steer a safe path through the minefield of mathematics that surrounds us.

Numb and Number

Explores the limits of human knowledge of the planet, its history and culture, and the universe beyond.

501 Mysteries of Life, the Universe and Everything

The Things That Nobody Knows

In public estimation, sloths have undergone an astonishing transformation in the course of the past few years. Thanks largely to YouTube clips posted by the sloth orphanage in Costa Rica, sloths have attracted a vast audience of admirers. Instead of seeing them as ridiculous anachronisms of which we know little, they have turned into creatures considered by many to be the most endearing on earth. Over much the same period, scientific investigations have also changed our view of sloths. No longer are they seen as total misfits in the modern world but, in the words of one specialist sloth investigator, they are "masters of an alternative lifestyle." This wonderfully entertaining book reveals the fascinating history of the sloth, from the prehistoric ground sloth to modern pygmy sloths in Panama, explores the current state of the science of sloths, and reveals the truth behind sloth behavior.

A Celebration of the World's Most Misunderstood Mammal

Sloths!

There are many, many more things that nobody knows...! Why do we have five fingers? Do animals have a sense of humour? Did the universe have a beginning? What causes déjà vu? Why do cats purr? How fast did dinosaurs move? In Even More Things That Nobody Knows, William Hartston once again explores the limits of human knowledge, revealing 501 further mysteries in subjects as diverse as cosmology, mathematics, animal behaviour, medical science, music, art, language and literature. From the trivial to the profound, this is an enthralling and enlightening investigation into the things we just don't know, and which lurk tantalizingly beyond the bounds of our understanding.

501 Further Mysteries of Life, the Universe and Everything

Even More Things That Nobody Knows

Finding the answers to questions you'd never have thought to ask, reading an off-the-wall statistic, or browsing through lists of zany facts is a refreshing and amusing distraction from the tawdry details of everyday life. Organised alphabetically and cross referenced, this work features hilarious entries.

The Supreme Miscellany of Fantastic Facts

Mr. Hartston's Most Excellent Encyclopedia of Useless Information

'A wise, witty and insightful guide to clear thinking amid a deluge of percentages and probabilities.' Ian Stewart Like it or not, our lives are dominated by mathematics. Our daily diet of news regales us with statistical forecasts, opinion polls, risk assessments, inflation figures, weather and climate predictions and all sorts of political decisions and advice backed up by supposedly accurate numbers. Most of us do not even pause and question such figures even to ask what they really mean and whether they raise more questions than they answer. In this simple guide for anyone numbed by numbers, William Hartston reveals with clarity and humour why the figures being flung at us may not tell the whole story. Along the way he explains commonly misused mathematical terms, solves everyday mathematical problems and shows how to steer a safe path through the minefield of mathematics that surrounds us.

How to Avoid Being Mystified by the Mathematics of Modern Life

Discover what all the other encyclopedias leave out This is the superbly satisfying compendium of weird factoids too interesting to be contained in your average encyclopedia. Daring to cross-reference the un-cross-reference-able, to alphabetize what cannot be alphabetized, and to deliver the highest concentration of fun that can fit in one book's spine, this information is too useless to waste: In Denmark, pigs go 'knor'; in Germany, horses go 'prrrh'; in ancient Greece, dogs went 'au au.' Italians sneeze 'ecci ecci.' A teacher in Italy was disciplined in 1996 for passing students exam answers hidden in salami sandwiches. In 1957 the U.S. air force completed a survey of the Atlantic Ocean but refused to divulge its width on the grounds that the information might be of military use to the Russians. In Paris in 1740 a cow was hanged in public following its conviction for sorcery.

The Encyclopedia of Useless Information

Teaches chess strategy and tactics through seventy-five lessons designed for players who already know the fundamentals of the game, divided into elementary, advanced, and master sections.

Better Chess

Improve Your Chess will help you to improve your technique and master your game. This lively new edition is written by William Hartston, an experienced chess player and daily columnist for the Independent. It is structured in 75 easy-to-follow lessons, clearly demarcated by level, so that you are challenged throughout. You will get to grips with complex strategy and the meta-principles which rule the relationship between pieces and their co-operation throughout play. All new concepts are demonstrated by illustrated worked examples, and you will get a chance to see these principles borne out in grandmaster play. NOT GOT MUCH TIME? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. AUTHOR INSIGHTS Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the authors' many years of experience. TEST YOURSELF Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of chess FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts. TRY THIS Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.

Improve Your Chess

There are many, many things that nobody knows. Do animals have a sense of humor? Why do we have five fingers? What did Jesus do in his youth? Has human evolution stopped? Can robots become self-aware? What goes on inside a black hole? Bringing together The Things That Nobody Knows and Even More Things That Nobody Knows, this bumper volume takes us on a guided tour of 1,001 gaps in our knowledge of cosmology, mathematics, animal behavior, medical science, music, art and literature.

1001 Mysteries of Life, the Universe and Everything

The Bumper Book of Things Nobody Knows

From ancient riddles to modern Sudoko, people have been fascinated by puzzles. Whether they are seen as a glorious waste of time, a harmless way to spend a train journey or a valuable way of exercising the mind, the lure of puzzles has been irresistible. By using over a hundred of examples of the most mindbending, the most challenging, the most satisfying, or simply the most humorous of puzzles throughout the ages, William Hartston traces the development of brainteasers of all varieties and the increasing ingenuity of puzzle setters from ancient civilisations to modern puzzle crazes.

120 of the World's Most Baffling Brainteasers from the Sphinx to Sudoku

A Brief History of Puzzles

A witty and fascinating exploration of the limits of human knowledge of our planet, its history and culture, and the universe beyond. There are many, many things that nobody knows... Do animals have a sense of humour? Why do we have five fingers? What did Jesus do in his youth? Has human evolution stopped? Can robots become self-aware? What goes on inside a black hole? Bringing together The Things That Nobody Knows and Even More Things That Nobody Knows, this bumper volume takes us on a guided tour of 1,001 gaps in our knowledge of cosmology, mathematics, animal behaviour, medical science, music, art and literature.

The Bumper Book of Things That Nobody Knows

Auspicious anniversaries such as the first aardvark born in captivity, the execution of a pig by hanging, the first homicide in Disneyland, and the addition of the term lap dancer to the Webster's College Dictionary are just some of the important dates that are included in Odd Dates Only. This exhaustive compendium will assure the reader that there are no dates in history that are not odd.

The Bizarre Birthday Book

Odd Dates Only

This entertaining reference book is for anyone interested in numbers,rithmetical coincidences, statistics and random information. How many acresf pizza are eaten daily in the USA? How many accidents involving tea cosiesere recorded in Britain in 1993? What is the mystical significance of theumber twenty-two? How long is an aardvark's tongue?;This collection of factsbout figures is arranged in numerical order, from zero - the number of timeshe word "Bible" occurs in the works of Shakespeare - to 4,985,567,071,200 -he amount of dollars of US national debt when the clock stopped near Timesquare, New York, on 14 November 1995. As a work of reference, it is designedo answer any question beginning with the words "How many...?", particularlyuestions that you would never have thought of asking in the first place.

William Hartston

About

Books

Join the club