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How Not to Be Wrong

the Power of Mathematical Thinking
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Feb 20, 20191aa rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
A relatively easy to read book about mathematics, mostly statistics. There is a jauntiness to the tone, and humour every once in a while. There was a rather lot of space devoted to picking lottery numbers, and how three consortiums tried - and succeeded for a time - to beat the lottery and make it a profitable business. There are many little rules of thumb, often one in each chapter, like "twice a tiny number is a tiny number" (p.120) (reflecting on this will make you wonder about why there is such public hysteria about drunk driving, rape, murder, child molestation, when there is, say, a forty percent increase over the previous year), "the significance test is the detective, not the judge" (p.160) (think about all of the 'new research findings' in medical news reports), and "its not always wrong to be wrong" (p.355) (when you're angry with another narcissistic politician (...well...on second thought...)). The most touching part was on pages 412-13, about how the genius cult in mathematics can really demotivate prospective mathematicians.