Pulse en una miniatura para ir a Google Books.
Cargando... 200% of Nothing: An Eye Opening Tour Through the Twists and Turns of Math Abuse and Innumeracy (1993)por A. K. Dewdney
Cargando...
Inscríbete en LibraryThing para averiguar si este libro te gustará. Actualmente no hay Conversaciones sobre este libro. The vast majority of these examples and pitfalls will be obvious and easy to avoid for people who paid attention during grade 10 math - and people who didn't, sadly, are unlikely to pick up the book. Its first chapters attempt to pique the reader's interest by covering ways in which advertisers deceive and utility companies defraud by misuse of math (whether deliberate or inadvertent.) That topic and some others in the book would probably catch the interest of high school students; if I was teaching high school math I would find it a useful reference book and use it as a basis for creating a few lessons - I'm sure that skeptical 15 years olds could probably find some badly misused or misleading math in the wild. Innumeracy is a more widespread plague than is illiteracy, yet we don't seem to pay it any attention or mind. This is a mistake, as Dewdney handily points out. Reading this book, I was proud that the examples cited therein are things I no longer fall for, having read enough books on the subject to protect me heartily against such misinformation. Prouder still was that I had read several books in the bibliography. Where this work stands out a bit from the others is that the author shows how easy it is NOT to be innumerate, and patiently shows the reader how. Works like these are of paramount importance, but an entire movement will need to be created to move innumeracy front and center. I normally enjoy books like 200% of Nothing. The book claims to show the importance of being numerate but the examples used are simplistic, obvious and humorless. At least the book is a short and quick read, coming in shy of 200 pages. There isn't much in terms of new examples with in 200% of Nothing. Anyone with even the minimum of interest will have heard of these examples and their solutions. A perfect example is the "Monty Hall" puzzle. Another chapter languishes over tossing coins. Coin toss odds are about the most basic of examples, twenty pages really don't need to be spent on the subject! The book might be more interesting for less numerate readers. My husband and I have both read 200% of Nothing and agree that the examples are basic and the author's attitude towards his audience is rather condescending. A better book on the subject is How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff. sin reseñas | añadir una reseña
Acclaim for "In today's world, 'innumeracy' is an even greaterdanger than illiteracy, and is perhaps even more common.Advertisers and politicians exploit it; intellectuals (self-styled)even flaunt it. I hope that this wise and witty book will providecures where they are possible, and warnings where they arenecessary. "It's also a lot of fun. I can guarantee that 100%."--Arthur C.Clarke "Dewdney retells with charm and wit magnificent morsels ofmathematical mayhem discovered by his army of volunteer 'abusedetectives.' From 'sample trashing' to 'numerical terrorism,' from'percentage pumping' to 'dimensional dementia,' 200% of Nothingplumbs the depths of innumeracy in daily life and reveals whatordinary people can do about it. A rich, readable, instructive, and persuasive book."--Lynn ArthurSteen, Professor of Mathematics, St. Olaf College No se han encontrado descripciones de biblioteca. |
Debates activosNingunoCubiertas populares
Google Books — Cargando... GénerosSistema Decimal Melvil (DDC)510Natural sciences and mathematics Mathematics General MathematicsClasificación de la Biblioteca del CongresoValoraciónPromedio:
¿Eres tú?Conviértete en un Autor de LibraryThing. |
Nogle kedelige eksempler på journalist- eller reklame-matematik. Spar 200% på din elregning. Blah, blah, blah. Omkring side 68 er der en gennemgang af Monty Hall problemet, som er svagt mindre uinteressant end resten.
Forfatteren dokumenterer uforvarende at en forkert påstand fanger opmærksomheden og derfor er en god reklame. ( )