Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 11-15 of 138
 Good Book, Though No Earth-shatteringly New Ideas December 22, 2009
Deaf Zed
I got this book while perusing the bookstore one day because it seemed like it'd make an interesting read (I was already familiar with Mlodinow as an author). Overall, I'm happy I read the book.
Mlodinow's main thesis is that 'randomness affects our lives far more than most people appreciate.' He does well in supporting this thesis. He mentions, for example, how the difference between an 89 and a 90 in a wine rating can have a HUGE influence on whether or not a wine successfully sells despite the ostensibly nominal difference. He also convincingly argues that certain successful CEOs, movie stars, and athletes (e.g. Roger Maris) probably 'just got lucky' in a lot of instances. He also regales the reader with interesting stories, such as the man who beat the casino by noticing a small scratch on a roulette wheel that he ultimately exploited in his favor.
That said, this book has nothing substantially new to offer anyone who's looking for anything beyond what basic probability theory says. This shouldn't be a problem though since the book is obviously designed for a general audience; it is not meant to be a technical math treatise. As long as the reader keeps this in mind, one will read this book having come away with something positive (entertainment value if nothing else).
 Decent read December 21, 2009
Timothy J. Clark (St. Louis, MO)
This is basically an introduction into probability. I would recommend it for a student. I think it is similiar to Freakonomics; reading the book does not make you an expert in the field, just makes the topic more interesting.
Wonderful Introduction and Historical Overview of Randomness December 16, 2009
Spencer Stejskal (Salt Lake City, UT)
This turned out to be a terrific book for a layman's introduction to randomness. The author skillfully presented the fundamentals of randomness without either talking over his readers heads or insulting their intelligence. He primarily does this with the use of very detailed and accessible examples from games of chance that he then extrapolates into more complicated real world examples.
The book develops the concepts of randomness by following the chronology of discovery within the field and in so doing, presents a very interesting history of the topic in addition to its primary goal of explaining randomness.
Absolutely Must Reading for Everyone December 12, 2009
Frank T. Cloak Jr. (Albuquerque, NM USA)
Even if you were a whiz in statistics in college, you need to read this book, and study the hard parts. Just grasping the fact that almost all fame based on measured achievements in sports, literature, and the arts - and even the sciences - actually results from a run of luck will give you heart. Try it, you'll like it.
Random is good, but not necessary intuitive December 12, 2009
Steven Grindle (Vermont)
For those interested in how people think (correctly and incorrectly) about randomness and probability and how it influences our lives, this is a great book. You do not have to be mathematically strong to enjoy the book, but you should be capable of understanding basic arithmetic, counting and fractions.
The book is full of examples and anecdotes as well as accurate explanations that are understandable by lay people.
Showing reviews 11-15 of 138
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