How Did They Do That?

How Did They Do That?

<p>The totally satisfying answers to more than 100 questions that drive normal people—not to mention infomaniacs and trivia buffs—crazy.</p><p>Questions about matters great and small, from ancient times to yesterday.</p><p>Illustrated with illuminating technical drawings and unusual vintage photographs.</p><p>How did they spend $40 million making Heaven's Gate?<br />How did they decide the length of a mile?<br />How did Beethoven compose when he was deaf?<br />How did they discover the Hope diamond?<br />How did they know the size of the Earth over 1,700 years before anyone sailed around it?<br />How did they set the price of the Louisiana Purchase?<br />How did the FBI devise the "Ten Most Wanted" list?<br />How did they decide which horses were Thoroughbreds?<br />How did they pick the Four Hundred?<br />How did they start the Guiness Book of World Records?<br />How did the Indians decide that cows were sacred?<br />How did they discover penicillin?<br />How did they build the Great Pyramid at Giza?<br />How did they decide how tall to make the Empire State Building?<br />How did they know there was an El Dorado?<br />How did they start the Chicago fire of 1871?<br />How did Hannibal cross the Alps?</p>