"Presents the fundamentals of momentum, heat, and mass transfer from both a microscopic and a macroscopic perspective. Features a large number of idealized and real-world examples that we worked out in detail."

A mix of folk wisdom, common sense, shared experience, the advice of experts, and the kind of group think that's made websites like Wikipedia so vital, Rules of Thumb is the impulsive compendium of 1,000 general principles that apply to every facet of life. Collected by Tom Parker for over 25 years, these are rules that are practical, quirky, and as entertaining to read as they are relevant to the reader. There's a rule of thumb for just about every subject imaginable— money, marriage, cooking, health, weather, cars, gardening, restaurants, travel. This is the priceless knowledge that's accumulated not from reading, but from living. Tempted by a string of pearls at a yard sale? Rub them against your teeth: The rule of thumb, as your grandmother might have told you, is that a genuine pearl will grate. Not sure how to choose a puppy? Pick one whose tail wags in sync with its walk—a sign of calmness. To win at blackjack, assume that any unseen card is an eight. And remember, a rule of thumb works four out of five times (including this one).

“Fun and fancy for the fair sex . . . rife with facts, rumors, stories, quotations and advice.” —Publishers Weekly What percentage of women would rather shop than have sex? What was Lauren Bacall’s real name? What tricks do supermarkets use to get us to spend more money? Who were the first two African American actresses nominated for Academy Awards in the same year for the same category? How many hours do the men in our lives spend on housework and childcare? What did Mae West say upon the death of Marilyn Monroe? From female celebrities to glass ceiling breakers and historical heroines, this entertaining resource is packed with fun facts, surprising statistics, and witty quips that make for great reading—in any room.

A rule of thumb is a kind of recipe for making a guess with precision, an easy-to-remember rule that falls somewhere between a mathematical formula and a shot in the dark. This all new collection of more than 1,000 rules contributed from readers all around the country will endlessly delight and instruct.