A Mathematician Reads The Newspaper

Paulos, John Allen

ISBN 10: 0465043623 / ISBN 13: 9780465043620

Published by Basic Books, 1995

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Synopsis:

John Allen Paulos is a master at shedding mathematical lights on our everyday world:What exactly did Lani Guinier say about quotas?What is the probability of identifying a murderer through DNA testing?Which are the real risks to our health and which the phony ones?Employing the same fun-filled, user-friendly, and quirkily insightful approach that put Innumeracy on best-seller lists, Paulos now leads us through the pages of the daily newspaper, revealing the hidden mathematical angles of countless articles. From the Senate, the SATs, and sex to crime, celebrities, and cults, Paulos takes stories that may not seem to involve mathematics at all and demonstrates how mathematical navet can put readers at a distinct disadvantage. Whether hes using chaos theory to puncture economic and environmental predictions, applying logic and self-reference to clarify the hazards of spin doctoring and news compression, or employing arithmetic and common sense to give us a novel perspective on greed and relationships, Paulos never fails to entertain and enlighten. Even if you hated math in school, youll love the numerical vignettes in this book.

Review: A wise and thoughtful book, which skewers much of what everyone knows to be true. "Los Angeles Times"
A fun, spunky, wise little book that would be helpful to both the consumers of the news and its purveyors. "Washington Post""

"A wise and thoughtful book, which skewers much of what everyone knows to be true."--Los Angeles Times

"A fun, spunky, wise little book that would be helpful to both the consumers of the news and its purveyors."--Washington Post

Bibliographic Details

Title: A Mathematician Reads The Newspaper
Publisher: Basic Books
Publication Date: 1995
Binding: hardcover
Condition: Very Good