The 5 W's: Why?: An Omnium-Gatherum of World Wars & World Series, Superstitions & Psychoses, the Tooth Fairy Rule & Turkey City Lexicon & Other of Life's Wherefores

by Erin McHugh

Overview

Quirky facts to answer a diverse array of some of life’s big questions from why do couples split up to why do Americans celebrate Groundhog’s Day.

Why do mosquitos love to bite us so much? Why does baseball have a seven-inning stretch? And why do some countries drive on the left of the road? Get the details and data needed to answer an incredible range of questions, from everyday queries to philosophical conundrums.

Why do . . .

 . . . we have standardized measurements? It was King Edward I of England, not a mathmatician, who set a standard of accuracy in certain trades.

 . . . we wear neckties? Neckties proclaim status, occupation, and identity, dating back to Roman times when orators wore them to keep their vocal cords warm.

 . . . brides wear wedding rings on the fourth finger of the left hand? For centuries, people believes the vein in that finger went directly to the heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402792151
Publisher:	Union Square & Co.
Publication date:	11/22/2022
Series:	The 5 W's Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	939 KB

About the Author

Erin McHugh is a former publishing executive and the award-winning author of more than twenty books of popular nonfiction, trivia, and history. She has also written for many magazines, including Bloomberg News, TimeOut New York, Architectural Record, and Better Homes and Gardens. She lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

Even the expansive subtitle doesn't do full justice to this compendium of offbeat facts. Omnivorous editor Erin McHugh has collected an eccentric array of lists, including "Diseases Named After People," "Presidential Nicknames," "Phobias of the Famous," and "Hurricanes So Damaging Their Names Have Been Retired." And don't forget the sidebars: Did you know, for instance, that Walt Disney often washed his hands up to 30 times an hour, while Louis XIV bathed only 3 times in his entire life?