How Math Can Save Your Life - (And Make You Rich, Help You Find the One, and Avert Catastrophes)

Informationen zum Autor James D. Stein is the author of "How Math Explains the World: A Guide to the Power of Numbers, From Car Repair to Modern Physics" and is a professor of mathematics at California State University, Long Beach. A graduate of Yale University and the University of California, Berkeley, he has taught college math for more than forty years. Klappentext Are service contracts for electronics just a scam?Should your lottery ticket contain numbers greater than 31?How do you know when he or she is "the one"?"How Math Can Save Your Life" shows you how to use basic arithmetic to answer these and many other questions that come up in everyday life. You'll discover how simple math can make you lots of money, keep you safe, and even save the world. Not bad for something you learned back in grade school.Filled with practical, indispensable guidance you can put to work every day, this book will safeguard your wallet and enrich every aspect of your life."Even if you hated math in school, you'll like this book. Jim Stein presents math the way I wish my teachers had: as a practical tool that can be used to solve everyday problems in the real world. Using down-to-earth langauge and real-life examples, Stein shows how even quick, back-of-the-envelope math can help us avoid costly errors."--Joseph T. Hallinan, author of Why We Make Mistakes"Stein pulls off a literary hat trick by writing a book about mathematics that is fun, friendly and factual. It's the definitive answer to the student's question, 'When will I ever need this stuff?'"--Leonard Wapner, author of The Pea and the Sun: A Mathematical ParadoxLearn how a little math can help: Avert disastersBeat the bookiesBoost your gradesExtend your life expectancyFix the economyImprove your love lifeMake you richWin argumentsAnd much more! Inhaltsverzeichnis Preface. Introduction: What Math Can Do for You. 1 The Most Valuable Chapter You Will Ever Read. Are service contracts for electronics and appliances just a scam? How likely are you to win at roulette? Is it worth going to college? 2 How Math Can Help You Understand Sports Strategy. Why could Bart Simpson probably beat you at rock! paper! scissors? What are "pure" and "mixed" strategies? Is a pass play or a run play more likely to make a first down? 3 How Math Can Help Your Love Life. How do you know when he or she is "the one"? Whom should you ask to the senior prom? Why are women reputed to be fickle while men are steadfast? 4 How Math Can Help You Beat the Bookies. Why should your lottery ticket contain numbers greater than 31? Can you overcome a negative expectation? When should you bluff and when should you fold? 5 How Math Can Improve Your Grades. Will guessing on a multiple-choice test get you a better score? What test subject should you spend the most time studying for? What subject should you major in? 6 How Math Can Extend Your Life Expectancy. How dangerous is it to speed? Why might your prescription show the wrong dosage? Should you have a risky surgery or not? 7 How Math Can Help You Win Arguments. Was the bailout the only way to save the banks? Do you really have logic on your side? What are the first arithmetic tables learned by children on Spock's home planet? 8 How Math Can Make You Rich. How can you actually make money off credit card companies? Will refinancing your house actually save money? Is a hybrid car a better value? 9 How Math Can Help You Crunch the Numbers. How did statistics help prevent cholera in nineteenth-century London? Why won't Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf's son be a tennis prodigy? Are you more likely to meet someone over 7 feet tall or someone more than 100 years old? 10 How Math Can Fix the Economy. What is the "Tulip Index"? What doesn't the mortgage banking industry understand about negative numbers? What caused the stock market crash of 1929? 11 Arithmetic for the Next Generation. How can you get your kids interested in math...

Product details

• Authors: James D Stein, James D. Stein
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 05.03.2010
• EAN: 9780470437759
• ISBN: 978-0-470-43775-9
• No. of pages: 256
• Subject: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Mathematics > General, dictionaries