Probabilities (PDF)

What are the chances?

Find out in this entertaining exploration ofprobabilities in
our everyday lives

"If there is anything you want to know, or remind
yourself, about probabilities, then look no further than this
comprehensive, yet wittily written and enjoyable, compendium of how
to apply probability calculations in real-world
situations."

-- Keith Devlin, Stanford University, National Public
Radio's "Math Guy" and author of The Math Gene
and The Math Instinct

"A delightful guide to the sometimes counterintuitive
discipline of probability. Olofsson points out major ideas here,
explains classic puzzles there, and everywhere makes free use of
witty vignettes to instruct and amuse."

-- John Allen Paulos, Temple University, author of
Innumeracy and A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper

"Beautifully written, with fascinating examples and
tidbits of information. Olofsson gently and persuasively shows us
how to think clearly about the uncertainty that governs our
lives."

-- John Haigh, University of Sussex, author of Taking
Chances: Winning with Probability

From probable improbabilities to regular irregularities,
Probabilities: The Little Numbers That Rule Our Lives
investigates the often-surprising effects of risk and chance in our
everyday lives. With examples ranging from WWII espionage to the O.
J. Simpson trial, from bridge to blackjack, from Julius Caesar to
Jerry Seinfeld, the reader is taught how to think straight in a
world of randomness and uncertainty.

Throughout the book, readers learn:

* Why it is not that surprising for someone to win the lottery
twice

* How a faulty probability calculation forced an innocent woman
to spend three years in prison

* How to place bets if you absolutely insist on gambling

* How a newspaper turned an opinion poll into one of the greatest
election blunders in history

Educational, eloquent, and entertaining, Probabilities: The
Little Numbers That Rule Our Lives is the ideal companion for
anyone who wants to obtain a better understanding of the
mathematics of chance.