The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives
by Leonard Mlodinow
from Pantheon
Amazon Guest Review: Stephen Hawking
Published in 1988, Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time became perhaps one of the unlikeliest bestsellers in history: a not-so-dumbed-down exploration of physics and the universe that occupied the London Sunday Times bestseller list for 237 weeks. Later successes include 1995's A Briefer History of Time, The Universe in a Nutshell, and God Created the Integers: The Mathematical Breakthroughs that Changed History. Stephen Hawking is Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge.
In The Drunkard's Walk Leonard Mlodinow provides readers with a wonderfully readable guide to how the mathematical laws of randomness affect our lives. With insight he shows how the hallmarks of chance are apparent in the course of events all around us. The understanding of randomness has brought about profound changes in the way we view our surroundings, and our universe. I am pleased that Leonard has skillfully explained this important branch of mathematics. --Stephen Hawking In this irreverent and illuminating book, acclaimed writer and scientist Leonard Mlodinow shows us how randomness, change, and probability reveal a tremendous amount about our daily lives, and how we misunderstand the significance of everything from a casual conversation to a major financial setback. As a result, successes and failures in life are often attributed to clear and obvious cases, when in actuality they are more profoundly influenced by chance.
The rise and fall of your favorite movie star of the most reviled CEO--in fact, of all our destinies--reflects as much as planning and innate abilities. Even the legendary Roger Maris, who beat Babe Ruth's single-season home run record, was in all likelihood not great but just lucky. And it might be shocking to realize that you are twice as likely to be killed in a car accident on your way to buying a lottery ticket than you are to win the lottery.
How could it have happened that a wine was given five out of five stars, the highest rating, in one journal and in another it was called the worst wine of the decade? Mlodinow vividly demonstrates how wine ratings, school grades, political polls, and many other things in daily life are less reliable than we believe. By showing us the true nature of change and revealing the psychological illusions that cause us to misjudge the world around us, Mlodinow gives fresh insight into what is really meaningful and how we can make decisions based on a deeper truth. From the classroom to the courtroom, from financial markets to supermarkets, from the doctor's office to the Oval Office, Mlodinow's insights will intrigue, awe, and inspire.
Offering readers not only a tour of randomness, chance, and probability but also a new way of looking at the world, this original, unexpected journey reminds us that much in our lives is about as predictable as the steps of a stumbling man fresh from a night at the bar.
Calculus for Dummies
by Mark Ryan
from For Dummies
The mere thought of having to take a required calculus course is enough to make legions of students break out in a cold sweat. Others who have no intention of ever studying the subject have this notion that calculus is impossibly difficult unless you happen to be a direct descendant of Einstein.
Well, the good news is that you can master calculus. It's not nearly as tough as its mystique would lead you to think. Much of calculus is really just very advanced algebra, geometry, and trig. It builds upon and is a logical extension of those subjects. If you can do algebra, geometry, and trig, you can do calculus.
Calculus For Dummies is intended for three groups of readers:
- Students taking their first calculus course – If you're enrolled in a calculus course and you find your textbook less than crystal clear, this is the book for you. It covers the most important topics in the first year of calculus: differentiation, integration, and infinite series.
- Students who need to brush up on their calculus to prepare for other studies – If you've had elementary calculus, but it's been a couple of years and you want to review the concepts to prepare for, say, some graduate program, Calculus For Dummies will give you a thorough, no-nonsense refresher course.
- Adults of all ages who'd like a good introduction to the subject – Non-student readers will find the book's exposition clear and accessible. Calculus For Dummies takes calculus out of the ivory tower and brings it down to earth.
This is a user-friendly math book. Whenever possible, the author explains the calculus concepts by showing you connections between the calculus ideas and easier ideas from algebra and geometry. Then, you'll see how the calculus concepts work in concrete examples. All explanations are in plain English, not math-speak. Calculus For Dummies covers the following topics and more:
- Real-world examples of calculus
- The two big ideas of calculus: differentiation and integration
- Why calculus works
- Pre-algebra and algebra review
- Common functions and their graphs
- Limits and continuity
- Integration and approximating area
- Sequences and series
Don't buy the misconception. Sure calculus is difficult – but it's manageable, doable. You made it through algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Well, calculus just picks up where they leave off – it's simply the next step in a logical progression.
Secrets of Mental Math: The Mathemagician's Guide to Lightning Calculation and Amazing Math Tricks
by Arthur Benjamin
from Three Rivers Press
These simple math secrets and tricks will forever change how you look at the world of numbers.
Secrets of Mental Math will have you thinking like a math genius in no time. Get ready to amaze your friends—and yourself—with incredible calculations you never thought you could master, as renowned “mathemagician” Arthur Benjamin shares his techniques for lightning-quick calculations and amazing number tricks. This book will teach you to do math in your head faster than you ever thought possible, dramatically improve your memory for numbers, and—maybe for the first time—make mathematics fun.
Yes, even you can learn to do seemingly complex equations in your head; all you need to learn are a few tricks. You’ll be able to quickly multiply and divide triple digits, compute with fractions, and determine squares, cubes, and roots without blinking an eye. No matter what your age or current math ability, Secrets of Mental Math will allow you to perform fantastic feats of the mind effortlessly. This is the math they never taught you in school.
Also available as an eBook
Algebra Workbook For Dummies
by Mary Jane Sterling
from For Dummies
Problem topics can include improper numbers, grouping symbols, using proportions, rationalizing fractions, multiplying and factoring expressions, solving linear and quadratic equations, working with inequalities, and using formulas in story problems.
Cracking the SAT Math 1 and 2 Subject Tests, 2007-2008 Edition (College Test Prep)
by Princeton Review
from Princeton Review
The Princeton Review realizes that acing the SAT Math Subject Tests is very different from earning straight A’s in school. We don’t try to teach you everything there is to know about math–only the techniques and information you’ll need to maximize your score. In Cracking the SAT Math 1 and 2 Subject Tests, we’ll teach you how to think like the test writers and
·Learn what subject matter will be tested so you can study more effectively
·Review key math vocabulary, basic functions, and equations
·Use proven techniques to solve complicated questions
The 2007-2008 edition of Cracking the SAT Math 1 and 2 Subject Tests is revised and updated to include the most current information possible.
How to Lie With Statistics
by Darrell Huff
from W. W. Norton & Company
"There is terror in numbers," writes Darrell Huff in How to Lie with Statistics. And nowhere does this terror translate to blind acceptance of authority more than in the slippery world of averages, correlations, graphs, and trends. Huff sought to break through "the daze that follows the collision of statistics with the human mind" with this slim volume, first published in 1954. The book remains relevant as a wake-up call for people unaccustomed to examining the endless flow of numbers pouring from Wall Street, Madison Avenue, and everywhere else someone has an axe to grind, a point to prove, or a product to sell. "The secret language of statistics, so appealing in a fact-minded culture, is employed to sensationalize, inflate, confuse, and oversimplify," warns Huff.
Although many of the examples used in the book are charmingly dated, the cautions are timeless. Statistics are rife with opportunities for misuse, from "gee-whiz graphs" that add nonexistent drama to trends, to "results" detached from their method and meaning, to statistics' ultimate bugaboo--faulty cause-and-effect reasoning. Huff's tone is tolerant and amused, but no-nonsense. Like a lecturing father, he expects you to learn something useful from the book, and start applying it every day. Never be a sucker again, he cries!
Even if you can't find a source of demonstrable bias, allow yourself some degree of skepticism about the results as long as there is a possibility of bias somewhere. There always is.
Read How to Lie with Statistics. Whether you encounter statistics at work, at school, or in advertising, you'll remember its simple lessons. Don't be terrorized by numbers, Huff implores. "The fact is that, despite its mathematical base, statistics is as much an art as it is a science." --Therese Littleton
Practical Algebra: A Self-Teaching Guide, 2nd Edition
by Peter H. Selby
from Wiley
Practical Algebra If you studied algebra years ago and now need a refresher course in order to use algebraic principles on the job, or if you're a student who needs an introduction to the subject, here's the perfect book for you. Practical Algebra is an easy and fun-to-use workout program that quickly puts you in command of all the basic concepts and tools of algebra. With the aid of practical, real-life examples and applications, you'll learn:
- The basic approach and application of algebra to problem solving
- The number system (in a much broader way than you have known it from arithmetic)
- Monomials and polynomials; factoring algebraic expressions; how to handle algebraic fractions; exponents, roots, and radicals; linear and fractional equations
- Functions and graphs; quadratic equations; inequalities; ratio, proportion, and variation; how to solve word problems, and more
Math Review For Standardized Tests (Cliffs Test Prep)
by Jerry, Ph.D. Bobrow
from Cliffs Notes
The CliffsTestPrep series offers full-length practice exams that simulate the real tests; proven test-taking strategies to increase your chances at doing well; and thorough review exercises to help fill in any knowledge gaps.
Math Review for Standardized Tests is for anyone who is planning to take the *SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, *PSAT, CBEST, NTE, or any other standardized test. You get a fighting chance at success by focusing squarely on a test-oriented math review. Each review section includes:
- A diagnostic test to spot areas that need special attention
- Rules and concepts with examples
- Practice problems
- Complete (and understandable) explanations
- A review test
If your math skills are shaky, this guide will refresh your memory by reintroducing mathematical rules and concepts you've learned but since forgotten. Glossaries assist your understanding of math terms used in the problems and explanations. Math Review for Standardized Tests covers these areas of math:
- Arithmetic, including rounding off, positives and negatives, fractions, decimals, percentages, scientific notation, exponents, square roots, statistics, measures
- Algebra, including sets, variables, expressions, ratios, factoring, proportions, monomials, polynomials, quadratic equations, inequalities, roots and radicals.
- Geometry, including angles, lines, polygons, triangles, Pythagorean Theorem, quadrilaterals, circles, congruence and similarity, and solid figures
- Word problems, including simple and compound interest, ratio and proportion, motion, percentages, ages, geometry, mixtures
With guidance from the CliffsTestPrep series, you'll feel at home in any standardized-test environment!
*SAT and PSAT are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this product.
Statistics for Dummies
by Deborah Rumsey
from For Dummies
In the numbers explosion all around us in our modern-day dealings, the buzzword is data, as in, “Do you have any data to support your claim?” “The data supported the original hypothesis that . . .” and “The data bear this out. . . .” But the field of statistics is not just about data. Statistics is the entire process involved in gathering evidence to answer questions about the world, in cases where that evidence happens to be numerical data.
Statistics For Dummies is for everyone who wants to sort through and evaluate the incredible amount of statistical information that comes to them on a daily basis. (You know the stuff: charts, graphs, tables, as well as headlines that talk about the results of the latest poll, survey, experiment, or other scientific study.) This book arms you with the ability to decipher and make important decisions about statistical results, being ever aware of the ways in which people can mislead you with statistics. Get the inside scoop on number-crunching nuances, plus insight into how you can
- Determine the odds
- Calculate a standard score
- Find the margin of error
- Recognize the impact of polls
- Establish criteria for a good survey
- Make informed decisions about experiments
This down-to-earth reference is chock-full of real examples from real sources that are relevant to your everyday life: from the latest medical breakthroughs, crime studies, and population trends to surveys on Internet dating, cell phone use, and the worst cars of the millennium. Statistics For Dummies departs from traditional statistics texts, references, supplement books, and study guides in the following ways:
- Practical and intuitive explanations of statistical concepts, ideas, techniques, formulas, and calculations.
- Clear and concise step-by-step procedures that intuitively explain how to work through statistics problems.
- Upfront and honest answers to your questions like, “What does this really mean?” and “When and how I will ever use this?”
Chances are, Statistics For Dummies will be your No. 1 resource for discovering how numerical data figures into your corner of the universe.
Algebra for Dummies
by Mary Jane Sterling
from For Dummies
One of the most commonly asked questions in a mathematics classroom is, "Will I ever use this stuff in real life?" Some teachers can give a good, convincing answer; others hem and haw and stare at the floor. The real response to the question should be, "Yes, you will, because algebra gives you power"Â –Â the power to help your children with their math homework, the power to manage your finances, the power to be successful in your career (especially if you have to manage the company budget). The list goes on.
Algebra is a system of mathematical symbols and rules that are universally understood, no matter what the spoken language. Algebra provides a clear, methodical process that can be followed from beginning to end to solve complex problems. There's no doubt that algebra can be easy to some while extremely challenging to others. For those of you who are challenged by working with numbers, Algebra For Dummies can provide the help you need.
This easy-to-understand reference not only explains algebra in terms you can understand, but it also gives you the necessary tools to solve complex problems. But rest assured, this book is not about memorizing a bunch of meaningless steps; you find out the whys behind algebra to increase your understanding of how algebra works.
In Algebra For Dummies, you'll discover the following topics and more:
- All about numbers – rational and irrational, variables, and positive and negative
- Figuring out fractions and decimals
- Explaining exponents and radicals
- Solving linear and quadratic equations
- Understanding formulas and solving story problems
- Having fun with graphs
- Top Ten lists on common algebraic errors, factoring tips, and divisibility rules.
No matter if you're 16 years old or 60 years old; no matter if you're learning algebra for the first time or need a quick refresher course; no matter if you're cramming for an algebra test, helping your kid with his or her homework, or coming up with next year's company budget, Algebra For Dummies can give you the tools you need to succeed.
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