Did you know there are 17 possible types of symmetric wallpaper pattern? Do you know what 'casting out the nines' is? Or why 88 is the fourth 'untouchable' number? Or how 7 is used to test for the onset of dementia. Number fanatic Derrick Niederman has a mission to bring numbers to life. He explores the unique properties of the most exciting numbers from 1 to 200, wherever they may crop up: from mathematics to sport, from history to the natural world, from language to pop culture. Packed with illustrations, amusing facts, puzzles, brainteasers and anecdotes, this is an enthralling and thought-provoking numerical voyage through the history of mathematics, investigating problems of logic, geometry and arithmetic along the way. ***PRAISE FOR THE REMARKABLE LIVES OF NUMBERS*** 'A hugely entertaining pick-and-mix of history, culture and mathematical puzzles.' BBC Focus 'This book is a complete joy. It made me smile. A lot.' Carol Vorderman 'Entertaining and engaging... Once you start reading it's just like the number system itself - impossible to stop.' Ian Stewart 'A fun book... definitely challenging.' Vanity Fair 'All sorts of fascinating mathematical minutiae.' Time Out

Pay a visit to London and a black cab will probably be one the first things you will see. The London taxi drivers are almost as famous as the black cabs in which they drive, this is mainly due to their in-depth knowledge of London and ability in taking their occupants to their desired destination amid the congestion and the chaos that you often find when travelling through London's streets. London taxi drivers go through stringent training to obtain their licence, they need to pass 'The Knowledge', a test which is amongst the hardest to pass in the world, and has been described as 'like having an atlas of London implanted into your brain'. The test requires you to master no fewer than 320 basic routes, all of the 40,000 streets that are scattered within the basic routes and approximately 20,000 landmarks and places of public interest that are located within a six-mile radius of Charing Cross. This book breaks the test down into a series of head-scratching questions and features enough trivia about the capital to surprise even born and bred Londoners. It's the perfect gift for anyone who thinks they know London inside-out, or wants to learn more!

Hidden History, Strange Stories, and Hard-to-Believe Headlines What if there was a flip side to the history channel? What would you do with all the historical facts and tales left out of history textbooks? From the host of the popular Useless Information podcast, Steve Silverman, comes a collection of fun history facts, strange news, and lost stories. True Stories and random trivia that will entertain or liven up any conversation. In The Flip Side of History: Fascinating True Stories that Time Has Long Forgotten, you can read about common folk and not-so-common knowledge. In this collection of over thirty historical events, Steve Silverman provides fascinating stories and easy to read facts. Covering a wide variety of topics, these stories highlight the quirks, complexities, and curiousness of man. Stranger than Stranger Things. The Flip Side of History gives you tales full of strange news, trivia, and facts. Some made newspaper headlines, others were lost in history: A prominent lawyer leaves his entire estate to a town for the establishment of a library that forbids women-setting off riots, arrests, and the near hanging of a judge. The amazing story of the only person rescued from slavery by the Underground Railroad four times. That time a man in the 1950s stole hundreds of women's shoes in Coronado and San Diego, California. The shoes, most of them the left shoe, were found dispersed randomly all over town. If you're a fan of the Florida Man Challenge and books like The Book of Unusual Knowledge, The Way I Heard It, Interesting Stories for Curious People, or The Greatest Stories Never Told; then The Flip Side of History is the book for you!

Can you recall the year that the Dracula fish was discovered? Do you know the height and location of the world's tallest building? Remember the company that discovered a way to convert water and CO2 into fuel? This unique trivia compendium presents an illustrated snapshot of the world twenty years after the new millennium. Taking stock of the most impressive achievements, terrific disasters and marvellous innovations that have changed our world, 2020 brings together top twenties of fascinating facts and figures on subjects ranging from life-saving technological advancements to freak weather phenomena, outstanding sporting achievements to unexpected political shake-ups. Whatever your interests, you'll be amazed, amused, surprised and enlightened by this testament to the catastrophic lows and unbelievable highs of human endeavour.

Trivia Book Filled with Fun Facts and Trivia Questions and Answers #1 Bestseller in Geography Answers to Questions You've Never Asked will entertain you for hours. Fun facts for kids of all ages. When you take the most absurd parts of history, science, economics and geography, you end up with a pretty confusing picture of humanity. Why do we have borders, what's the furthest you can get from the ocean, how do you qualify as a country and why did Vikings wear those silly helmets? These are just a few of the strange questions that bounce around the head of YouTube sensation Joseph Pisenti, aka RealLifeLore. Answering the ridiculous. In his channel, Pisenti presents illogical truths in a logical manner. In his debut book, Pisenti builds on this nonsensical humor of the universe with in-depth analysis of empires, economies, and ecosystems as he helps answer the ridiculous. Why, you ask? Because someone has to. Using line drawings, graphs and charts, Pisenti not only details the absurd, but he also provides explanations on why things are...and why they aren't. Answers to: Where can I move to so that I'm never tempted by McDonalds again? How far into the Pacific does Trump's wall stretch? If Plato came back to life, what would he think of modern democracy? Why do all empires fail? Who decides what countries are allowed to participate in the Olympics? What makes Finland so great? Witty, thought-provoking and occasionally snarky, Answers to Questions You've Never Asked is for anyone who beams with curiosity and has a belly-button.

This brand new edition, redesigned in hardback for 2019, makes the perfect gift for the rugby obsessive in your life.

Rugby fans will delight in this astonishing collection of outlandish stories from the past 150 years of the game. Here you'll find, among many other curious events, the Irish international who arranged his marriage in order to play against England, the team of top soccer players who beat their rugby counterparts at their own game, the day the entire Wales team was sent off, and when in an astonishing turn of events underdog Japan trimphed and beat South Africa (and who doesn't love an underdog).

The tales in this book are bizarre, fascinating, and, most importantly, true.

Festive fun for all the family! Do you know… • Which band has had the most Christmas number ones? • How many cover versions of ‘All I Want for Christmas’ have been recorded? • Which Christmas song is the most popular single ever released? Can you… • Identify a classic Christmas song from a line sung backwards? • Fill in the blanks of iconic Christmas film lines? • Guess the Christmas film from the critic’s review? Get ready to beat your friends and family in a game of festive charades, discover the joys of Christmas-song Mad Libs, test your competitive side with a game of Who’s in Santa’s Bag?, have a good old-fashioned Rockin’ Robin team quiz, indulge in some merry drinking games; or escape with a Jollyword Puzzle. You’ll soon have Christmas all wrapped up! You’ll find hours of festive fun inside to make sure everyone has a very Holly Jolly Christmas!

A Fan's Look at the Back to the Future Franchise "Brad Gilmore's book not only offers new perspectives and a deeper understanding of Back to the Future, it reminds us why we fell in love with it in the first place." Mark Ellis, Comedian & Movie Critic #1 Bestseller in Movies, Guides & Reviews There's a host of information out there on the Back to the Future trilogy, but never before has there been a book like this. The history of the films, cartoons, toys, and more. The Back to the Future series is a timeless collection greatly revered by all audiences. The beauty of this book by Brad Gilmore is that it doesn't present the history of the film as textbook information. He discusses these films from a place of passion and so effectively reveals how the history behind the movies is just as engaging as the films themselves. Unheard details and trivia. Gilmore, a radio and television host and host of Back to the Future: The Podcast, is an expert on all things Back to the Future. Pairing his knowledge with his passion for the films, Gilmore uses this book to discuss details and movie trivia that reveal just why the trilogy has stood the test of time. As a fan speaking to fellow fans, he dives into fan theories and provides answers to many questions readers have-because they are the very questions he himself has asked. Check out this must-have book and learn things you never knew: Completed timelines of all the main characters from the franchise In-depth studies of various Back to the Future fan theories that will surprise and intrigue you A detailed comparison of the films' predictions of the future to our world today Fans of books like Back to the Future: The Classic Illustrated Storybook, Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History, Back to the Future: Untold Tales and Alternate Timelines, or We Don't Need Roads: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy, will love Back From the Future.

Let hosts Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman guide you through the quiz rounds with their trademark warmth and humour and battle it out against your friends and family for Pointless glory. Perfect for playing along alone or with family and friends, The Very Pointless Quiz Book will test your knowledge and tease your brains. So how good are you at Pointless? Really? Do you think you've got enough in-depth knowledge of Regional Railways, African Countries With No Coastline and Types of Lettuce to carry off the coveted Pointless trophy? Well let's see shall we? Here's your chance to step up to the podium (metaphorically speaking of course, chances are you'll be sitting somewhere very comfortably with either a mug of tea or a roll of Andrex within easy reach) put that knowledge to the test, and see just how far you can go in a genuine four-round Pointless ordeal. Right, if everyone's ready, let's play Pointless...

Over 400 intriguing, entertaining, and often hilarious etymological journey The English language is riddled with phrases that are complete nonsense. Ever met "a monkey's uncle," seen a "red-handed" thief, or "put a sock in it" when asked? You knows the real meaning of these common expressions, but do you know where, why, and how these idioms entered America's vernacular in the first place? Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red uncovers and explains the amazing and bizarre origins of 400 such phrases. Breezy and fun to read, this book of word trivia is far from being just an etymological dictionary. As if he were unraveling 400 little mysteries, the author reveals the backstory of each expression and tells how they've gained their new meanings. For example, you will enjoy following the exploits of the Marquis of Waterford. Was it the Mad Marquis' drunken excess and paint-brush wielding fun in the town of Melton Mowbray that inspired so many to "paint the town red" even today? This question and many others will be answered within.

A cracking general knowledge test - The Quiz Addict blog Were your school exercise books adorned with huge ticks, glowing comments and gold stars? Did you win prizes for your awe-inspiring performances on the toughest of tests? Do you still think you know it all? This is your chance to prove it as you work your way through a vast array of general knowledge head scratchers in Think You Know It All? If you reckon you've got what it takes to list the capitals of Europe, name the 52 states of the USA, check off all 38 Shakespeare plays, or recall all the James Bond films (in order), let's find out. With space to scribble, tick and graffiti, as well as an answers section for when you admit defeat, this book will entertain and challenge in equal measure.