Faster Than a Jet, Bigger Than a Whale: An Illustrated Guide to Measuring Our World

"Everything is relative in this numerically fascinating presentation of records of every kind" - Kirkus

A lavishly-illustrated guide to real-life wonders large and small! Dive into the biggest, the fastest and the strongest, from nature to technology to the miracles of the human body.

A gorilla is stronger than a human, but who is the strongest of all? Who’s the oldest? Come to think of it, who eats the most? And if we’re really asking important questions: who poops the most? (Among mammals, pandas are the champions.)

From Earth’s largest mountain (it’s not Everest, but Hawaii’s Mauna Kea) to Typhoon Tip (the most massive storm in recorded history), we’ll journey from the microscopic to the vast, from the long-extinct to the futuristic. This is a book of tiny cells and distant galaxies, massive trees and poisonous spiders. Meet the Parker Solar Probe (the fastest space ship), the Argentinosaurus (the largest land animal of all time), as well as deadly volcanos—and a squid with a giant eye. And along the way, comprehend the universe at its most amazing, most astounding and most unbelievable.

As a journalist, video maker and author of children's books, Andrea Minoglio has been involved in making science accessible for many years. He has worked for Focus, and was editor-in-chief of Focus Junior magazine. He lives in Milan with a big orange cat and his 10-year-old son, who lends an ear to all of Andrea's scientific ramblings. 

Bethany Lord is an award-winning illustrator based in London. You can follow her at @bethanyalicelord.