Author:Leonard Mlodinow Binding: Hardcover Published: 2008-05-13 ISBN: 0375424040 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
"Interesting, but an inconsistency"
"a bit technical"
"Skip if you took Stats in college"
"THIS IS AN OUTSTANDING BOOK"
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Editorial Review:
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.
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
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Interesting, but an inconsistency I'm sure most of the arguments made in the book are sound, but I must point out a paragraph in which he failed to remain consistent about his own argument. In chapter two, Mlodinow argues that many people would choose (A and B) to be more probable than (B), and that this is mathematically and logically impossible. However, on a paragraph on page 25 he then proceeds to argue how highly trained doctors make this mistake, and provides two choices given to them. Unfortunately, the choices offered were (A and B)... more info
a bit technical This book is really interesting but is a bit more technical than I had anticipated. An Understanding of math is helpful.
Skip if you took Stats in college Some interesting anecdotes, nice historical notes and intriguing opening and closing chapters, but not worth the cost or the read if you've already studied statistics in at school.
THIS IS AN OUTSTANDING BOOK I own the audio version of this book and although I'm not much of a math guy I enjoyed it so much I had to buy the hard cover book to give to my father in law. He is an avid reader and loves math so I expect he will get a kick out of this. Read it or listen to it. This book will make you think. A very nice piece of work!
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 
