100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Enjoy overnight NZ-wide delivery from our NZ-owned independent bookstore! 🎉

How Long is a Piece of String?

More Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life
3.88 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 341 ratings, 28 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
How Long is a Piece of String? by Jeremy Wyndham and Rob Eastaway explores the fascinating world of measurements and mathematics in everyday life. The authors engage readers with intriguing questions and offer clear explanations and real-world examples, making complex mathematical concepts approachable. This book blends fun insights and puzzles, making it an accessible read for anyone curious about the science behind common queries.
Read More
Format: Hardback
$2100
Elsewhere:
$2299
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're curious about the practical applications of mathematics in everyday life and enjoy exploring scientific concepts with a humorous twist. It's perfect for those who find joy in uncovering the seemingly simple yet mathematically complex questions we encounter daily.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A fascinating book, from a leading maths educator and demystifier, that shows how maths is relevant to our everyday lives. 

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A fascinating book, from a leading maths educator and demystifier, that shows how maths is relevant to our everyday lives.

Have you ever wondered how the meter in a taxi works? Or why a lift takes so long to respond to your call? Is there a mathematical secret to making a hit single? And how long is a piece of string? In this fascinating book, you will find the answers to these and many other intriguing questions of everyday life.

Discover the astonishing '37% rule' for blind dates, how to avoid the gentleman's urinal, and some extraordinary scams that people have devised to get rich quick. Here you will also find the origins of the seven-day week and the seven-note scale, an explanation of why underdogs sometimes win, some clever techniques for detecting fraud, and the reason why epidemics sweep across a nation and disappear just as quickly.

How Long is a Piece of String? is the perfect book for anyone who is curious about the way in which maths underlies so much in our everyday lives. Whatever your mathematical ability level, you will find this book informative, thought-provoking and, most of all, fun.

Word count: 35,000

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

How Long is a Piece of String? by Jeremy Wyndham and Rob Eastaway is a delightful exploration into mathematical concepts presented in an engaging and accessible manner. The reviews often praise the authors’ ability to make complex ideas easy to understand through relatable examples and wit. Readers appreciate the blend of humour and education, making it delightful for both science enthusiasts and the general public.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781911622260

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 15 April 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Portico

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 204.0mm

Weight: 500g

Pages: 240

About the Author

Rob Eastaway is a writer, speaker and consultant. His books include the bestselling What is a Googly? (9781861056290) and Why Do Buses Come In Threes? (9781861058621). He jointly devised the system now used to officially rank international cricketers and lives in London, where he is a keen weekend cricketer and occasional golfer.

Also by Rob Eastaway

View all
  • Much Ado About Numbers
    "A spectacular journey... Highly recommended!" Dr Simon Smith, The Shakespeare Institute "A fascinating and hugely entertaining guide to Shakespearean mathematics." Prof Sarah Hart, author of Once Upon A Prime "A playful and engaging book ... bound to excite the appetite of all Shakespeare junkies." Patrick Spottiswoode, Founder, Shakespeare's Globe Education 'Instead of cleaving maths and English in twain, Eastaway brings...
    Hardback
    $4500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Headscratchers
    This highly engaging collection of 70 puzzles comes from the popular weekly column in New Scientist magazine. You'll find puzzles that are great for sharing with friends at a pub, problems drawn from real-life situations, games with intriguing strategies, and puzzles with such creative and whimsical storylines that they need to be explained to be believed. With the solutions, you'll...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Much Ado About Numbers
    In this fascinating new take on the world of Shakespeare, find out how Tudors multiplied, why Shakespeare never ended a line with the word Orange, why King Lear was every inch a king, and why early drafts of the plays could possibly have been written with a pencil. Shakespeare's world was one in which one might expect to travel no...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Science & Nature

View all
  • John and Paul
    THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 'A triumph.' Deborah Levy, New Statesman 'Tremendous.' Alwyn Turner, The Times 'Revelatory.' Simon Schama, Financial Times 'The gold standard of Beatles books.' Anthony Quinn, Observer 'As enthralling and astonishing as their music.' Jon Dennis, Sunday Telegraph 'A masterpiece.' Dylan Jones, Evening Standard '[Ian Leslie]...
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Raising Hare
    THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2025 SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024 SHORTLISTED FOR THE HATCHARDS AND BIOGRAPHERS' CLUB FIRST BIOGRAPHY PRIZE A BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR THE HAY FESTIVAL, SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, FINANCIAL TIMES, SPECTATOR AND iNEWS 'A beautiful book' - ANGELINA JOLIE 'I...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • What If? 10th Anniversary Edition
    CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF THE MILLION-SELLING POP SCIENCE CLASSIC WITH A SPECIAL EDITION. THIS IS WHAT IF? . . . x10. THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Nerd royalty' — BEN GOLDACRE 'Totally brilliant' — TIM HARFORD 'Required reading across the world' — NEW YORK TIMES From the creator of the wildly popular xkcd.com, experience hilarious and informative answers to important questions...
    Hardback
    $4200
    Elsewhere:
    $5000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Anxious Generation
    A powerful argument for reclaiming childhood—and all human relationships—from the online world, from the influential social psychologist and international bestselling author. Jonathan Haidt has spent his career speaking truth and wisdom in some of the most difficult spaces—communities polarised by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the mental health emergency hitting teenagers today in many countries around...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Prisoners of Geography
    Prisoners of Geography looks at the past, present, and future to offer crucial insights into one of the major factors that determine world history – because if you don’t know geography, you’ll never have the full picture. Originally published in 2015, this completely revised and updated edition brings it up to date with the events and trends of the past...
    Paperback
    $2899
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Diddly Squat: Home to Roost
    It's been another memorable year on Diddly Squat Farm - will the chickens finally come home to roost? Welcome back to Clarkson's Farm. The spring crop failed. Farming sheep, pigs, and cows was hardly more lucrative (better off breeding ostriches...) But in the face of uncooperative weather, bureaucracy, and the world's persistent refusal to recognise his genius, our hero's not...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Place of Tides
    To save the world, we have to start somewhere. One afternoon many years ago, James Rebanks met an old woman on a remote Norwegian island. She lived and worked alone on a tiny rocky outcrop, caring for wild ducks and gathering their down. Hers was a centuries-old trade that had once made men and women rich, but had long been...
    Paperback
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Ultra-Processed People
    Launching the runaway bestseller with ambitions to be the biggest non-fiction paperback of the year IT'S NOT YOU. IT'S THE FOOD. "If you only read one diet or nutrition book in your life, make it this one" - Bee Wilson "You've got to get this book in your life . . . Completely compelling . . . Read a page...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Kitchen Confidential
    The classic bestseller from the star of Parts Unknown and No Reservations: 25th Anniversary edition, with a new introduction by Irvine Welsh. BEFORE THERE WAS THE BEAR, THERE WAS BOURDAIN. ‘Elizabeth David written by Quentin Tarantino’ — A.A. Gill ‘Fantastic: as lip-smackingly seductive as a bowl of fat chips and pungent aioli’ — Daily Telegraph After twenty-five years of sex,...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Sapiens
    Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari is an extraordinary exploration of humanity's history from the dawn of our species to the present day. Harari delves into our evolution, offering insights into the cognitive revolutions that allowed Homo sapiens to rise above other animal species. Traversing through various stages of human development, he examines the Agricultural Revolution, the unification of humankind through...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Invisible Women
    Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez is a groundbreaking and meticulously researched exploration into the pervasive gender bias that infiltrates every aspect of our society. Through compelling case studies and thorough analysis, this book unveils the hidden ways women are systematically disadvantaged in a world predominantly designed by and for men. Perez's revelations stretch across various sectors including government policy,...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Clean & Green
    Simple swaps and innovative ideas for cleaning and maintaining your home that won't cost the Earth. Learn how easy it is to make simple swaps in your cleaning and tidying methods for a more eco-friendly home. This beautifully illustrated black and white guide with 101 hints and sustainable, natural cleaning tips and hacks will help you take small steps that...
    Paperback
    $2999
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.