Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its ConsequencesThis New York Times bestseller shows how understanding probability and statistics can change your life: “Brief, witty, and full of practical applications.” —Time Magazine Why do even well-educated people understand so little about mathematics? And what are the costs of our innumeracy? John Allen Paulos argues that our inability to deal rationally with very large numbers and the probabilities associated with them results in misinformed governmental policies, confused personal decisions, and an increased susceptibility to pseudoscience of all kinds. Innumeracy lets us know what we’re missing, and how to do something about it. Sprinkling his discussion of numbers and probabilities with quirky stories and anecdotes, Paulos ranges freely over many aspects of modern life, from contested elections to sports stats, from stock scams and newspaper psychics to diet and medical claims, sex discrimination, insurance, lotteries, and drug testing. Readers of Innumeracy will be rewarded with scores of astonishing facts, a fistful of powerful ideas, and, most important, a clearer, more quantitative way of looking at their world. “This admirable little book [can be read] in two hours. Chances are that they could be among the most enlightening and even profitable 120 minutes you ever spent.” —Chicago Sun-Times “Like carrying on a conversation with an engaging, articulate math whiz who easily shifts from the profound to the funny.” —Business Week “Paulos makes numbers, probability, and statistics perform like so many trained seals for the reader’s entertainment.” —Chicago Tribune |
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algebra American answer approximately assume assumptions astrology average Babe Ruth believe binomial probability distribution birthday calculation cancer choice choose claims coin coin flips coincidences conditional probability confidence intervals Consider correct predictions correlation couple course cubic deaths determine disease distribution dream drug Dukakis equally estimate event example fact factor five flips given heads high school hundred hypothesis innumeracy innumerate John Allen Paulos large numbers least less letters light-years logarithm Lou Gehrig math mathematicians mathematics mean million misconceptions multiplication principle number of possible numerology outcome parapsychology percentage person play poll preferences press the button probabilistic probability theory problems pseudoscience quantities question random randomly selected Reagan reason regression relatively result risk rolling safety index sample sequence significance six numbers someone statistics tails tendency theoretical There’s thousand three dice total number toy block trillion Type II errors women