Struck By Lightning: Amazon.ca: Jeffrey Rosenthal: Books

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Book Description

Publication Date: Sep 1 2005 | ISBN-10: 0002007916 | ISBN-13: 978-0002007917 | Edition: 1

Listen as author Jeffrey S. Rosenthal discusses the background to Struck by Lightning in this series of exclusive videos.

You’re involved in a fierce pokergame. What’s your opponent’s nextmove?

You’re travelling to a foreigncountry. Are you going to be caught in aterrorist attack?

You’re about to pull the arm on aslot machine. Are you more likely tohit the jackpot or to catch the flu from thelast gambler’s unwashed hands?

Randomness, uncertainty and probability are everywhere, andwhile no one can predict uncertain events with certainty, we can at leastunderstand uncertainty itself. In this entertaining look at the world ofprobabilities, Jeffrey Rosenthal, an improbably talented math professor,musician and improvisational comedian, explains the mechanics of randomness andteaches us how to develop an informed perspective on probability.

From lotteries to casinos, insurance rates to crime rates, gameshows to airline crashes, cancer to SARS, Struck by Lightning deconstructsthe odds and oddities of chance in an understandable, relevant and irreverentexploration.

#outer_postBodyPS { display: none; } #psGradient { display: none; } #psPlaceHolder { display: none; } #psExpand { display: none; } Listen as author Jeffrey S. Rosenthal discusses the background to Struck by Lightning in this series of exclusive videos.

You’re involved in a fierce pokergame. What’s your opponent’s nextmove?

You’re travelling to a foreigncountry. Are you going to be caught in aterrorist attack?

You’re about to pull the arm on aslot machine. Are you more likely tohit the jackpot or to catch the flu from thelast gambler’s unwashed hands?

Product Details

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; 1 edition (Sep 1 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0002007916
ISBN-13: 978-0002007917
Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 13.5 x 2.3 cm
Shipping Weight: 45 g

Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #171,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

From Amazon

What are the odds of two people at a party having the same birthday? Or that you'll draw a fourth queen for your poker hand? Or that Earthlings are alone in the universe? Or that the cute girl in accounting will go out with you on a date? If you're the kind of person who spends a lot of time pondering such dilemmas, you'll probably enjoy Jeffrey Rosenthal's entertaining book Struck by Lightning. Rosenthal, a Harvard math PhD and a professor of statistics at the University of Toronto, makes statistics come alive with colourful writing and everyday examples of how uncertainty affects our lives. He notes that people have a love-hate relationship with randomness. "We are inexplicably delighted by strange coincidences and striking similarities," he writes. But we also hate the dark side of uncertainty--the possibility of disease, plane crashes, collapsing bridges. Rosenthal's goal is to help teach readers to worry less and appreciate the randomness of life. "Uncertainty is here to stay," he writes. "We have two options: we can let uncertainty get the better of us or we can learn to understand randomness."

Rosenthal shows how readers can use probability theory for everything from improving their luck at poker or Monopoly to assessing whether they might be attacked by terrorists while traveling. It can be used to devise a better computer password or to analyze studies of a drug recommended by your doctor. And yes, readers can figure out the odds they'll be hit by lightning and how a certain Cuban farmer happened to be struck five times. There are even clues about whether life exists on other planets. In a world where events often seem to be spinning out of control, Rosenthal makes a convincing case that we should embrace randomness, and his book is a great primer for how to do it. --Alex Roslin

From Publishers Weekly

Statistics and probability made fun, easy and useful for everyday life? Rosenthal does just that by explaining common uses of statistics (such as polling), demonstrating how probability can lead to better decision making (should you ask your cute co-worker out on a date?) and getting downright silly (chapter nine is a noir mystery). The author maintains that our fear of untoward events can be eased with the logic of probability and knowing how to evaluate what the real odds are of such an event occurring. A multitude of applications of "the Probability Perspective" are laid out: calculating average losses at gambling, deciding which coincidences are truly surprising, understanding studies that show that a new drug reduces fatalities from a given disease, playing silly party games and using uncertainty for one's own benefit. Anecdotes—some personal stories, some universal situations—illustrate ways that the probability perspective can set one's mind at ease and help in navigating all aspects of life. The lighthearted presentation ensures that readers will not feel burdened by all the knowledge they are gaining and the concluding summary—disguised as a final exam—is sure to deliver an A to everyone, which is what Rosenthal deserves for this clever book. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Practical Book on Probability in the Everyday World Sep 27 2005

By G. Poirier TOP 50 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

I love books like this! I saw this one, browsed through it a bit and bought it right away because it looked very good - it was. I can confidently say that this is one of the best books of its type. The author explains, in very clear language, the nature of probability and its use in understanding some of the many areas in everyday life that could otherwise remain very obscure or misunderstood. The topics covered include gambling games and methods, the ways casinos operate (this may be very surprising to many), card games and strategies, pre-election polls, certain game shows, the war against spam, weather prediction, and many other areas where probability plays a key role. The author, an expert in the field, writes very well and in such an engaging and often humorous style that the book is almost impossible to put down. Those who read this book will understand a bit more about how the world that we live in actually works. I highly recommended this book to everyone!!

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Practical Book on Probability in the Everyday World Sep 26 2005

By G. Poirier TOP 50 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

I love books like this! I saw this one, browsed through it a bit and bought it right away because it looked promissing - I was right! I can confidently say that this is one of the best books of its type. The author explains, in very clear language, the nature of probability and its use in understanding some of the many areas in everyday life that could otherwise remain very obscure or misunderstood. The topics covered include gambling games and methods, the ways casinos operate (this may be very surprising to many), card games and strategies, pre-election polls, certain game shows, the war against spam, weather prediction, and many other areas where probability plays a key role. The author, an expert in the field, writes very well and in such an engaging and often humorous style that the book is almost impossible to put down. Those who read this book will understand a bit more about how the world that we live in actually works. I highly recommended this book to everyone!!

Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

4.0 out of 5 stars Poker, lotteries, viruses and polls - this is math! Sep 18 2005

By Maria Hoeffer

Format:Hardcover

Struck By Lightning does a fantastic job of making probability accessible to non-math geeks. This would have been a great one to accompany my statistics course in university! While at times Rosenthal seems to get a little too caught up in explaining all the numbers and equations, this book is highly readable and enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the little "final exam" at the end!

Struck By Lightning [Hardcover]

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