The Order of Things: How hierarchies help us make sense of the world - Hardcover

Strachan, Jackie; Moseley, Jane

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1472139909 ISBN 13: 9781472139900

Publisher: Robinson, 2017

Synopsis

From the Private First Class who knows his place (above a Private but below a Lance Corporal), to the classification of the natural world (Species, Genus, Family, Order ...), we introduce hierarchies, pecking orders and ranks to every aspect of our lives, from society and religion to leisure and the law, establishing priorities and bringing order to our world. This miscellany of the various hierarchies that govern our existence ranges from the prosaically earthbound, in the form of roads and freeways, to the esoterically celestial, in the form of angels, seraphim, cherubims, archangels and so on. Who is more senior in a Chinese triad, a White Paper Fan or a Red Pole? What trumps a Straight Flush in poker? How many ranks are there between a Detective and a Colonel in the American police? What's the next step up from the Court of Appeal? What is a Royal Peculiar and where does it stand in the hierarchy of the British church? Which sea states lie between Calm and Phenomenal? In a Roman legion, how many men made up a Cohort and how many Cohorts a Legion? What is the hierarchy in the US government? Knowing where something - or someone - stands in the order of things helps us quite literally to put it into context.

About this title

About the Authors

JACKIE STRACHAN is an experienced and creative publishing industry professional, one of the people behind JMS Translation and Editorial, which does work for companies all over the world.

JANE MOSELEY is an experienced and creative publishing industry professional, one of the people behind JMS Translation and Editorial, which does translation and editing work and produces copy for companies large and small all over the world.

From the Back Cover

A fascinating miscellany of the many and diverse hierarchies of the world, from governments, gangs and gladiators to sports, science and secret societies, via armies, ants and angels

As a species, we do a fine, fastidious job of introducing hierarchies, pecking orders and ranks to every aspect of our lives. Knowing what and who stands where and why in the ultimate order of things helps us, quite literally, to put them into context, establishing priorities and bringing order to our world.

Who is more senior in a Chinese triad, a White Paper Fan or a Red Pole? What trumps a Straight Flush in poker? What is a Royal Peculiar and where does it stand in the hierarchy of the Church of England?

All these questions and many more are answered in this informative book that marries our collective love of lists, order and meaning.

Edition details

• Publisher: Robinson
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1472139909
• ISBN 13: 9781472139900
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192