How Did They Do That?

The totally satisfying answers to more than 100 questions that drive normal people—not to mention infomaniacs and trivia buffs—crazy.

Questions about matters great and small, from ancient times to yesterday.

Illustrated with illuminating technical drawings and unusual vintage photographs.

How did they spend $40 million making Heaven's Gate?

How did they decide the length of a mile?

How did Beethoven compose when he was deaf?

How did they discover the Hope diamond?

How did they know the size of the Earth over 1,700 years before anyone sailed around it?

How did they set the price of the Louisiana Purchase?

How did the FBI devise the "Ten Most Wanted" list?

How did they decide which horses were Thoroughbreds?

How did they pick the Four Hundred?

How did they start the Guinness Book of World Records?

How did the Indians decide that cows were sacred?

How did they discover penicillin?

How did they build the Great Pyramid at Giza?

How did they decide how tall to make the Empire State Building?

How did they know there was an El Dorado?

How did they start the Chicago fire of 1871?

How did Hannibal cross the Alps?