The Wacky & Wonderful World Through Numbers: Over 2,000 Figures and Facts - Softcover

Number nerds, rejoice: a math-centric guide to the world is here. Perfect for the math-averse and computation devotees alike The numbers-only format on each page (bolded numbers next to small, expositive paragraphs) makes for quick-and-easy perusal, serving up info appetizers to whet the imagination and encourage further research. The title validates the importance of a strong foundation in numbers and math for an audience notorious for its When will I ever use this? approach to the topic. VERDICT An excellent resource for those serving those math-minded reluctant readers and for collections looking for a whimsical Common Core or STEM tie-in.
School Library Journal

Everything is by the numbers in this playful STEM selection. Sixty-one topics, ranging from history (e.g., Marvelous Monarchs and The Wild West) and science (e.g., Dangerous Animals and Wicked Weather) to pastimes (e.g., Making Music and Super Sports) and oddities (e.g., Disgusting Dinners and Dreadful Death), present more than 2,000 facts and figures in eye-catching columns. Most people dont need to know that 450 million pairs of jeans are sold in the U.S. each year, or that 60 adult humans could be killed by the venom of just 1 box jellyfish, and yet its hard to stop reading these fascinating facts that describe our world and not want to learn moreeven such spooky facts as 7.9 ft. (2.2 m) was the height of Dr. Frankensteins monster in Mary Shelleys famous novel. Accompanied by colorful, digital cartoon artwork, the book sneaks in figures in the table of contents, introduction, and front and back covers, and it fittingly concludes with a section called Numbers, which offers a plethora of math-related facts. 100 percent fun for fact fanatics.
Booklist

Gr 5–8—Number nerds, rejoice: a math-centric guide to the world is here. Perfect for the math-averse and computation devotees alike, this volume features colorful illustrations on each page, laid out in rough rows and columns, which draw the eye to more than 2,000 facts and figures grouped into 61 often-alliterative categories ("Terrific Treasure," "Disgusting Dinners," "Perfect Primates"). The topics vary, from historical architecture to outer space to weird stories of survival, with strange tidbits that will entice readers. The numbers-only format on each page (bolded numbers next to small, expositive paragraphs) makes for quick-and-easy perusal, serving up info appetizers to whet the imagination and encourage further research. The title validates the importance of a strong foundation in numbers and math for an audience notorious for its "When will I ever use this?" approach to the topic. Lengths, times, weights, speeds: all of these and more are lenses for history, science, and literature. The only drawback of this slightly oversize paperback is its lack of index; a table of contents is the reader's only finding aid. VERDICT An excellent resource for those serving those math-minded reluctant readers and for collections looking for a whimsical Common Core or STEM tie-in.—Chelsea Woods, New Brunswick Free Public Library