How Long Is a Piece of String?

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.