Book Description
Everyday questions such as "Should I take my umbrella?" involve probability, a topic important in daily life and in science. This witty, nontechnical introduction to the subject elucidates such concepts as permutations, independent events, mathematical expectation, the law of averages and more. No advanced math required. 49 drawings.
Customer Reviews:
A true classic.......2007-06-01
A classic. What it does, it does extremely well, though the tone of 1950s restrained earnestness may not resonate with the Jon Stewart generation. Has a leisurely, careful but not pedantic, verbal development of the basic mathematics of probability (expectation, binomial and Normal distributions, law of large numbers and central limit theorem, statistical sampling) plus the classic stories (birthday paradox, coincidence anecdotes, Poisson's "cavalry deaths by horse kicks" data). In other words it picks out the interesting parts of a freshman college course. Readers in the Jon Stewart generation might prefer Struck by Lightning: The Curious World of Probabilities.
delightful.......2007-03-20
A pleasant and insightful read. I finally understand Bayes theorem now in a practical sense. The idea of calling the chapter exercises 'puzzles' rather than 'problems' or 'exercises' is a good one - more math authors should adopt this convention I think.
Good introduction - a bit dated.......2005-11-27
This is a great little book for self study and a springboard for further study. A lot of these Dover publications are a bit dated and sometimes not the most clearly written and this is no exception. (In their defense, though, they are often seminal works written by the actual practitioners in the field.) Still, though, the writer is fairly nontechnical and introduces the major concepts of probability in a thorough manner. He delves a bit into statistics and ends up with a chapter on gaming. Take the concepts of this book, throw in a little more stats and logic and you've got a good Spock in the making.
A classic and one of my favorite books.......2005-10-03
Some years ago I got the idea that I could, by studying probability and statistics, work out a way to beat the Las Vegas bookies by betting on baseball games.
Hmm..., one might say. Well, I was young and while not exactly foolish, I was adventurous and liked challenges.
Anyway, I knew a little mathematics and a little probability, but it was only when I picked up this absolutely charming book and began to read it that I realized with a kind of glee and something akin to a thrill that I was about to learn something of great value.
Warren Weaver, a good friend, by the way, of Claude Shannon, the great information theory pioneer, has a wonderful gift for expression and an equally wonderful gift for explaining things clearly and making his subject matter exciting. And the engaging illustrations by Peg Hosford do nothing but add to the excitement.
From the very first words in the book, "This book is, in one sense, about thinking. About a certain way of thinking, that is...," I knew immediately what he meant and that I had stumbled upon exactly the sort of book I was looking for.
Weaver begins literally with "Thoughts about Thinking" and illustrates how probabilistic reasoning, as he calls it, is the only kind of reasoning that can help us answer certain kinds of questions, questions such as will it rain today? or is Alex Rodriguez, who hasn't had a hit in five at bats, due for a hit this time up? or "if I have my left lung removed, what is the chance that the cancer will really be cured?" (p. 28) He follows this with a most interesting short chapter on the history of probability, "The Birth of Lady Luck." And then he explains "The Concept of Mathematic Probability." His exposition was so clear and such a pleasure to read that I can still recall the delight I experienced in reading it for the first time.
In the chapter on "The Counting of Cases," Weaver gets down to the basics of compound events and the difference between combinations and permutations--knowledge that is necessary, for example, in order to analyze a game of chance, especially games involving dice or playing cards..
The next chapter covers independent events, and then there are some famous problems including the one involving dice throwing that the Chevalier de Mere presented to the celebrated French mathematician Blaise Pascal. Weaver had mentioned it earlier, noting that this historical problem from 1654 actually marked the above mentioned "birth of Lady Luck."
In other chapters Weaver introduces us to the law of large numbers and explains the "maturity of chances" fallacy and some other fallacies. He explains in a particularly clear and utterly convincing manner why the so-called Martingale system and other "doubling up" systems yield no advantage to the bettor, and why, if any given independent event is disadvantageous for the bettor, no system of betting on such events will ever lead to an advantage for the gambler. In the case of doubling your bet after each loss, Weaver shows that every time you win, you will be one unit ahead no matter how many times you double up--except for one very deadly proviso: Sooner or later you will run into a streak of losses that will wipe you out--or, run you up against the betting limit of the casino or whomever you are betting against, and you will have to eat your losses. It is simply a matter of the observing the powers of two: 2,4,8,16,32,64,128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, 16384, 32768, 65536.
In other words, if your betting unit is $100 and you decide to bet on National Football League games, betting $100 the first week, and if you lose doubling your bet to $200 the next week, and then to $400, the following week, etc., until you either win or the season ends, you will gain $100 for each time you win. Should you however run into a bad streak, say losing every week, you would lose $65,536 after the 16th game! (I have simplified this of course since, due to the bookie's vigorish, you actually have to wager $110 to win $100.)
If you double up on something like the throw of the dice at a casino where the odds of winning the bet are less than fifty-fifty, your chance of a ruinous streak is (markedly) increased.
A very interesting chapter is number XIII, "Rare Events, Coincidences, and Surprising Occurrences" where Weaver presents some of the coincidences he has experienced and collected over the years. He goes on to explain the nature of such rare events and gives a very interesting look at them from a mathematical point of view. One of the events is about a guy in Las Vegas who made an amazing 28 passes in a row at a dice table at the Desert Inn. He, cautious bettor that he was, made only about $750, while the side bettors made $150,000. Another event was thirteen spades having been dealt to a bridge player. Weaver discusses whether we should believe that this and some other very, very rare events could happen by chance.
Since reading this book, I have read a number of other popular books on probability, statistics and gambling, but I can say, as good as some of them were, none were nearly as exciting nor half as interesting as this book. As far as I am concerned Lady Luck is a classic of the genre, and more or less timeless.
As for the baseball betting...well, that's another story, but suffice it to say it ain't easy beating the spread.
Fun, flowing, and surprisingly rigorous introduction.......2000-12-21
The main strength of Mr. Weaver's "Lady Luck" lies in its sheer readability. Mr. Weaver is very careful about presenting his arguments so that they may have maximum intuitive appeal, while at the same time refusing to compromise the mathematical rigor that is necessary to construct any serious theory of rudimentary probability. What is most important about the work is that it provides the reader an extremely entertaining and well written framework for thinking about questions of probability. A concept such as "independent random variable" which a mediocre statistics textbook may quickly skip is a surprisingly philosophically complicated idea, and has troubled academicians, let alone lay people. Mr. Weaver's work, far from being in any sense "slow," deals with how we are to take into account this very basic ideas that form the starting point to this particular area of the mathematical sciences. Finally, Mr. Weaver's references to distinctively late 50s early 60s phenomenon provide an entertaining look at the thoughts of the time.
Book Description
A successful Web designer, forty-year-old India has a fabulously hip life in Denver and a sexy Irish lover in New York who jets out to see her on bi-weekly visits. The long-distance romance suits India just fine: Though Jack is the only man who has ever made India feel truly alive, she doesn’t want things to get too serious. But then her father passes away, and India must honor the promise she made to him: to look after her mother when he’s gone.
Suddenly India finds herself back in Colorado Springs with the woman who both intrigues and infuriates her. Eldora is sixty something and exquisitely gorgeous, but her larger-than-life personality can suck the air out of a room. True to form, Eldora throws India a curveball, insisting that they hit the road to look for India’s twin, Gypsy, a brilliant artist who lives a vagabond’s existence in the remote mountain towns of New Mexico. It looks like India can’t avoid her mother’s intensity any longer, especially after she discovers stunning secrets from Eldora’s past.
Thirty years ago, Eldora regaled her twin girls with glamorous stories about her days as a Las Vegas showgirl– stories of martinis and music at the Sahara, back when Frank and Sammy ruled the town. But the story of how she really ended up in Sin City, and the unsavory life she’d run from with her daughters in tow, is full of details she’s never seen fit to share–until now.
As mother and daughter sail down Route 66, the very road Eldora drove those many years ago, looking for Gypsy, while passing motels, diners, and souvenir shops, Eldora must relive a lifetime of memories that have tormented her before she can put them to rest once and for all. . . .
Award-winning author Barbara Samuel brings us a heartfelt story of second chances and unexpected detours. As two women come to terms with themselves and each other, the past unravels and the future spreads out before them like the open road.
Customer Reviews:
Lady Luck's Map of Vegas.......2007-03-12
This is a very fun read. I enjoyed the information in the book as well as just a chuckle from time to time.
Never judge a book by its cover.......2007-02-19
Never judge a book by its cover is so true of titles and the characters in this book untill you get to know them. Barbara Samuels writes a wonderful story about people you really care about and want to know better.
Loved it........2006-09-21
This fast-paced novel takes mother and daughter, Eldora and India, down Route 66 in search of India's schizophrenic twin sister, Gypsy. India is not pleased to leave her work and long distance lover, Jack, to take her mother on a road trip down memory lane in her mother's cherished 1957 Thunderbird. But she promised her father before his death that she would take care of her mother, and so she agrees to the trip hoping that the time on the road will help her to reconcile issues in her own life and also to help her make the most important decision of her life. Eldora, who has been living with the regrets and mistakes she made many, many years ago, wants to make peace with one daughter as she searches for the other one. Eldora is faced with revealing her true self to India and in the process risks losing her daughter forever. Both India and Eldora each tell their own story as they travel the same fateful route they took several years ago and try to reconcile their past to their present and dare to hope for a future but ultimately discover that in life and love there are no guarantees.
***** I thoroughly enjoyed Barbara Samuel's heartwarming story of a mother and daughter who both dare to risk their current tolerable relationship for a chance to really understand one another. The realness of these two characters makes the reader feel deeply connected with what both India and Eldora are facing. This novel needs to be a movie because India and Eldora's stories would be wonderful played out on the big screen. I highly recommend taking this real and endearing and ultimately hopeful journey with India and Eldora along Route 66. *****
Reviewed by Barbara Stabler.
WOW!.......2006-06-01
One of Samuel's best. This book made me laugh out loud and cry, the need a box of Kleenex, don't try reading on the elliptical kind of cry. I read it on one day and immediately wanted to read it again. The realness of the characters amazed me. I felt like I knew these people. I loved this book!
Wanted: Strong Women.......2005-03-26
I'm always so impressed with Barbara Samuel's novels, and Lady Luck's Map of Vegas is no exception. Samuel, who lives in Colorado, writes about women in the western United States who may have had family problems, but resolve them, or find a way to live with them, by the end of the books. I checked out her website at www.barbarasamuel.com, and she has also written a number of romances, some under the name Ruth Wind. But her women's novels are the ones that impress me - No Place Like Home, A Piece of Heaven, The Goddesses of Kitchen Avenue, and, now Lady Luck's Map of Vegas.
Forty-year-old India is a successful web designer with a large circle of friends. She also has an Irish lover that she sees monthly, Eldora, her widowed mother who can be demanding, and a schizophrenic twin sister who disappers into the unknown periodically. And, she's pregnant.
When India's mother wants to take Route 66 from Colorado Springs to Las Vegas, she reluctantly agrees to accompany her, fleeing the truth and her own doubts about her pregnancy. As they hunt for Gypsy, India's sister, along the route, Eldora reaches into her own past to reveal secrets she has covered up about her life.
Once again, Barbara Samuel has written of two women coming to terms with the results of their own actions. It's a strong, beautiful novel.
Product Description
Gambling, once shunned as a criminal activity, is now a main-stream component of Western culture. Participation in gambling is reported by over 80% of people in North America. This is the first ever book on gamblers and gambling from a Jungian perspective. Most studies of gambling activities focus on addiction to the game(s), but this book covers the gamut, from recreational to pathological gambling. The author explores the archetypal foundations of the gambler through 1) ampli-fication of images of Lady Luck; 2) the role of "play" as an activity informing the gambler's approach to the game; and 3) images of the gambler on the continuum from play to addiction -all in the service of becoming better acquainted with the gambler in ourselves and in those around us. Case stories are included in this exceptionally insightful study of the inner forces that urge many of us to take a chance-on slots, cards, dice, lotteries, horses, roulette wheels, love and more, with particular attention to gambling in casinos.
Customer Reviews:
Thoughtful, serious-minded dissection of human motivations and compulsions........2007-04-14
Written by licensed psychologist and Jungian analyst Billye B. Currie Ph.D., The Gambler Romancing Lady Luck: A Jungian Exploration is a one-of-a-kind examination of gambling from a Jungian perspective. Exploring the archetypal underpinnings of the gambler through focus on the imagery of Lady Luck and the spectrum of human behavior ranging from casual gameplay to outright addiction, The Gambler Romancing Lady Luck applies case stories to illustrate its insights into the internal and external forces that encourage humans to play games of chance. A handful of black-and-white illustrations add a touch of classic imagery of Lady Luck to this thoughtful, serious-minded dissection of human motivations and compulsions.
Average customer rating:
- meh.
- luck be a lady
- an ok book
- ****
- A Witch In Time
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Luck Be a Lady (Charmed)
Scott Ciencin
Manufacturer: Simon Spotlight Entertainment
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Truth and Consequences (Charmed)
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Dark Vengeance
ASIN: 0689857934 |
Book Description
Phoebe Halliwell may be ready to turn over a new leaf as a single gal, but her newly redemonized ex-husband, Cole, isn't ready to let her go. Aware of a supernatural plot against the Charmed Ones, Cole keeps watch over Phoebe, and intercedes at the moment of battle, only to accidentally create a rip in time. Cole disappears to WWII-era Hollywood -- and brings the sisters with him!
While the Charmed Ones are no strangers to extreme circumstances, what they didn't anticipate was a demonic stronghold shaking down local businesses. To infiltrate the evil underground, Paige poses as a young starlet, working an entirely different kind of magic before the camera. Meanwhile, Piper is tempted to seek out Leo -- in this world, he's still human -- and Phoebe is at her wits' end contending with Cole. But a demon henchman is working the black magic mojo on Paige, and if the sisters don't focus, before long they'll find themselves completely out of luck!
Customer Reviews:
meh........2004-08-27
What can i say about this? Not much. I liked that the author went back in time but thats like another Charmed episode....the ancestor thing was weird because the author didn't bother to explain how it was possible.
luck be a lady.......2004-06-02
although i dont think this is the best charmed it's definatly up there at the top it's considerably more up to date with whats been going on with the tv series, with cole and pheobe split up. plus this book is set mainly in a different time so it adds to the uniqueness i cant wait to read the new book of three it looks to be great! overall this is a great book but if you havent read the other books it might be confusing
an ok book.......2004-03-16
cole is trying his best to win phoebe's trust and love back. but when they go up against some luck demons, the charmed ones plus cole find themselves overwhelmed and thrust back into the year 1942. with the knowledge of his demon half, cole helps the sisters learn how to cope 60 years in the past.
paige finds a job at a movie studio, filling in for the lady who just left who just happens to look just like paige. but the evil they thought they left in the 21st century has set up shop and if they charmed ones are not careful, they will have bigger problems than they can imagine.
the book had lots of historical references in it, but not enough believable action. overall it was an ok book.
****.......2004-03-14
This book is good but yet it goes into way to much detail baout things that are not at all important like when they talk about the way the cars look different they talk about everything from the wheels to the color and it just gos on and on.It is also a little confusing. Over all it is a good plot and is a good book.
A Witch In Time.......2004-01-30
I'm not really sure what to make of this one. The Charmed Ones go up against some luck demons and fid themselves transported back in time to LA. This is supposed to be bad luck but is actually good.
The sisters and a powerless Cole are stuck in the past. To help find a way back, they become involved in film making and organized crime. Paige manages to double for an actress who looks just like her and is apparently an ancestor of her adopted parents (this is never developed).
Eventually the Charmed Ones must take on some more luck demons and try and save the future as they know it.
The resolution is a little odd and make no sense (how Cole defeats the demons' abilities, that is). But, as this is not the TV show, we know they must all survive and return to the present.
When I finished reading this one, I just had to think, what's the point? I had thought the discovery of an ancestor that looked like one of the Charmed Ones and how it could be would play a major part but it was just left unexplained. Oh, well, I am sure many fans will like it.
Customer Reviews:
It was not my lucky day.......2007-08-28
When I read the back cover I thought that the premise of the story would lend itself to an amusing read. I was prepared for the plot to be a bit on the lighterside with clever and witty dialogue. Unfortunately, light does not begin to describe the silly and at times mind numbing stupidity of both the characters and the plot. Witty was nowhere to be found. The book did have some scenes that were intended to be sensual, but even they were rendered ridiculous by the authors unceasing use of cutesy euphemisms. Before long I found myself skimming and skipping through the sillier passages, and then skimming and skipping through entire pages. The author's halfhearted attempt at intrigue was a classic case of way too little, way too late. All things considered, Luck may have been a Lady, but the she was also a complete waste of my time.
Must have had a "off" day........2007-05-03
First, I am absolutely crazy for Betina Kranhn's books; except this one.
They generally capture you from the beginning and make it hard for you to stop reading. Not this one, I read and read and read. By page 117 I gave in to boredom and put it down. Really didn't care what happened to ANYBODY in the story. Was extremely disappointed that it was so different from her usual.
With that said, I can't wait to get hold of the next one she writes.
Do You Believe in Luck?.......2004-12-26
Charity Standing had always been a jinx and everyone knew it, that is except Charity herself. Everywhere Charity went, disaster followed, from buttons popping to injured animals. Her grandmother, Lady Margaret Villiers, did her best to ward off the bad luck by placing "good luck charms" all over the house she resided in. Her grandmother had lived with gypsies for three years and still followed many of their practices, reading the moon to predict the future of her granddaughter. After the death of her father, Charity was heart-broken, fleeing into the dark woods, causing the carriage of Rane Austen to wreck...thus begins their long journey toward happiness and fulfillment.
This book captivated me from start to finish. I will admit that the time Rane spends with Charity while he is healing from a major injury runs slowly, but it was still interesting enough to keep me reading more. Charity's beloved dog, Wolfram, constantly kept Rane and Charity apart, which does get grating, but that is the only flaw I find with the book. The story was original and fresh, the characters were flawed, but charming, and the secondary characters added to the story, but never took away from it. Even though Wolfram got on my nerves from time to time, I found him to be a delightful addition to the story. I even found it amusing that he had his own thoughts woven into the story. The bickering grandmothers and disasters that occur are very amusing and kept me laughing.
The romance between Rane and Charity is achingly sweet, but passionate all at once. It was nice to see a hero who actually fought to win the love and admiration of the heroine, not the other way around. Charity's jinx always worried me, I wondered if she would ever be able to break the jinx that surrounded her. Rane was convinced that the jinx was not real, but Charity and her grandmother were sure it was. Rane was not an overbearing hero and Charity was not a simpering heroine. They both grew and changed throughout the novel, learning to accept one another for who they were. Rane had his own demons to deal with, but they weren't as tragic or painful as the ones Charity held in her heart. These two were a perfect match in my opinion, it has been a long time since I've read about two characters who seemed so "right" for one another.
Is she really jinxed or is it all in her head? Will love triumph in the end or will tragedy strike? Is there such a thing as luck? Can a person really be a jinx or does it depend on how you look at things? Do you believe in luck or logic? It has been a long time since a romance novel has made me think so much. I have come to my own conclusions, but it is up to you to decide whether or not Charity was really and truly a jinx. I highly recommend this book for all romance lovers, you will enjoy the wit and humor laced throughout the novel, and the characters will keep you smiling long after you finish the book.
Two different titles but the same story........2003-06-05
If you have read Midnight Magic, this is the same exact book just a different title. I still recommend it because it is a great book. But just don't make a mistake of buying both.
Tricked !!!.......2002-04-07
This is the first time I have written a review, but I was so aggravated I thought I should let others know.
When I purchased this book it was with the new releases and I assumed it was a new novel by the author. When I started to read the book, immediately it seemed so familar. I knew I had read this story before but, I didn't recognize the title or the cover. When I looked through the first couple of pages, there is a note that this was re-released and now has a different title!! I was angry that I wasted my money on a book I had already read! I know books are re-released and some changes are made but, can they not put this information on the back cover and let us decide if we would like to reread it? I read so much that the books are all starting to look familar. I wait patiently for new releases so I don't have to remember if I already read the book. Now they release them as new books with only a little note you have to search for. I feel this is very deceiving. After I got over being duped, I remembered this was one of the first books I had read of hers' and I had loved it. It is fast paced and hilarious. I am rereading it (why not, I already own it) and I am enjoying it a second time. In the future I will be looking through the first few pages before I purchase the book.
Average customer rating:
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101 Things You Didn't Know About Casino Gambling: Cover Your Ass, Befriend Lady Luck, And Beat the Houseevery Time!
Justin Cord Hayes
Manufacturer: Adams Media Corporation
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Hard Luck Lady (Silhouette Desire, No 640)
Christine Rimmer
Manufacturer: silhouette
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ASIN: 0373056400 |
Customer Reviews:
Hard Luck lady.......2000-11-02
I enjoyed. I have read most of Ms Rimmer's books and this one is a little different. It takes place in foothills of Northern CA like many of her books. An area that she writes lovingly of. Maggie Durrant comes *home* to bury her brother and take care of the family matters. MacEvan Manero, who moved to the area after Maggie left, is our hero. They both are wounded souls but are able to find happiness with each other. The title comes from an unusual place. Read it an find out!
Book Description
This collection brings us two short novels featuring Brian A. Hopkins' most memorable character, Martin Zolotow. Martin has a weakness for damsels in distress, a nose for sniffing out trouble, and the scars to prove that he can dish it out as well as take it. Suffering from a condition that hampers his short-term memory, he is a lone crusader in a cold, brutal world. Featuring trademark wry humor interspersed with white-knuckled action and adventure, Lipstick, Lies, and Lady Luck is sure to garner more fans of Brian Hopkins' evocative writing.
Brian A. Hopkins lives in Oklahoma City.
Customer Reviews:
unique private investigator who part Boy Scout and part Noir.......2004-07-28
"The Licking Valley Coon Hunters Club". At Los Angeles Airport, a sick looking thug carrying a syringe with bad blood inside it abducts former cop Martin Zolotow using the hypodermic as a weapon. The thug escorts Martin by air to Oklahoma City where two more punks greet him. They take Zolo to Tobias Washington; he blackmails Zolo by threatening to kill a friend if the sleuth fails to rescue his daughter from rival Jimmy McDevitt and the pig farmer's so-called vampires. Zolo works the case, but is triple crossed at every step as the two gang lords compete over illegal drug trafficking.
"The Bikini Bottoms Optional Oyster Bar". Zolo barely survives a dunking in the Gulf of Mexico though he cannot remember why someone would toss him into the sea. Widow Jacob Mathias helps Zolo recover at his place in Apalachicola, Florida. Zolo starts to remember his client Henry McGill wanted him to learn what happened to internet stripper Lena, who the he believes was murdered. Now Zolo struggles to learn how he got embroiled with mobsters wanting him dead starting with the strip joint The Bikini Bottoms Optional Oyster Bar.
These two novellas star an intriguing knight in shining armor sleuth who has memory problems that will remind readers of Memento's Leonard Shelby. Both tales are well written as the hero struggles to keep track of what he knows, which he quickly forgets unless he writes it down (should try a Polaroid). Brian A. Hopkins furbishes a unique private investigator who is one part Boy Scout and one part Noir.
Harriet Klausner
Books:
- Leading Ladies: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actresses of the Studio Era
- Learning Autodesk Maya 8|Foundation +DVD
- Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide 2002
- Lolita
- Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever
- Meditation for Optimum Health: How to Use Mindfulness and Breathing to Heal Your Body and Refresh Your Mind
- Movie Mistakes Take 5 (Movie Mistakes)
- My Life With Bonnie And Clyde
- Open Secret: Gay Hollywood 1928-1998
- Orlando Bloom Has Ruined Everything: A FoxTrot Collection (Foxtrot Collection)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
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- Horse Anatomy: A Coloring Atlas
- Encyclopedia of Walt Disney's Animated Characters
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- In the Absence of the Sacred: The Failure of Technology and the Survival of the Indian Nations
- Personal Publicity Planner: A Guide to Marketing YOU
- Delivering a Winning Job Interview
- The Manual of Business German: A Comprehensive Language Guide
Taking Chances: Winning with Probability
Randomness
Probability: An Introduction
The Foundations of Statistics
Chance, Luck, and Statistics
