The Perfect Bet

Author: Adam Kucharski
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465098592
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 288

Book Description
"An elegant and amusing account" of how gambling has been reshaped by the application of science and revealed the truth behind a lucky bet (Wall Street Journal). For the past 500 years, gamblers-led by mathematicians and scientists-have been trying to figure out how to pull the rug out from under Lady Luck. In The Perfect Bet, mathematician and award-winning writer Adam Kucharski tells the astonishing story of how the experts have succeeded, revolutionizing mathematics and science in the process. The house can seem unbeatable. Kucharski shows us just why it isn't. Even better, he demonstrates how the search for the perfect bet has been crucial for the scientific pursuit of a better world.

Al Pha's Bet

Author: Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101650249
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 32

Book Description
Wonderful things are being invented every day in Al Pha's world-fire, the wheel, even shadows! His big chance to be part of history comes when the King announces that the twenty-six recently invented letters need to be put in order. Al makes a bet with himself that he's the man for the job. Through a series of funny events, he eventually finds the perfect order for the letters, and the king rewards him by naming his creation the "Alphabet." Sure to entertain and engage young readers, this book turns the ABC's inside out. Kids will laugh at the quirky illustrations and clever wordplay, while wondering where the alphabet really did get its order.

The Bet

Author: Rachel Van Dyken
Publisher: Forever
ISBN: 145555426X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 202

Book Description
Indulge in this "laugh-out-loud" (Jill Shalvis) #1 New York Times bestseller about two childhood enemies who--decades later--discover that there is a fine line between love and hate. "I have a proposition for you." Kacey should have run the minute those words left Seattle millionaire Jake Titus's mouth. It's been years since Kacey's seen her childhood friend Jake, but the minute Jake mentions his ill grandmother, Kacey is ready to do anything for the sweet old woman. And if that means pretending they're engaged for her sake, so be it. But Kacey wasn't counting on Jake's older brother Travis still being there. She calls him "Satan" for a reason: she's never forgotten the way he teased and taunted her. Yet when they meet again, Travis's gorgeous smile is a direct hit to her heart . . . and Kacey's more confused than ever. As the days pass, only one thing starts to become alarmingly clear -- she never should have accepted Jake's deal.

The Magic of Math

Author: Arthur Benjamin
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 0465061621
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 333

Book Description
The world's greatest mental mathematical magician takes us on a spellbinding journey through the wonders of numbers (and more) "Arthur Benjamin . . . joyfully shows you how to make nature's numbers dance." -- Bill Nye (the science guy) The Magic of Math is the math book you wish you had in school. Using a delightful assortment of examples-from ice-cream scoops and poker hands to measuring mountains and making magic squares-this book revels in key mathematical fields including arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and calculus, plus Fibonacci numbers, infinity, and, of course, mathematical magic tricks. Known throughout the world as the "mathemagician," Arthur Benjamin mixes mathematics and magic to make the subject fun, attractive, and easy to understand for math fan and math-phobic alike. "A positively joyful exploration of mathematics." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review "Each [trick] is more dazzling than the last." -- Physics World

What's Luck Got to Do with It?

Author: Joseph Mazur
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400834457
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 297

Book Description
The hazards of feeling lucky in gambling Why do so many gamblers risk it all when they know the odds of winning are against them? Why do they believe dice are "hot" in a winning streak? Why do we expect heads on a coin toss after several flips have turned up tails? What's Luck Got to Do with It? takes a lively and eye-opening look at the mathematics, history, and psychology of gambling to reveal the most widely held misconceptions about luck. It exposes the hazards of feeling lucky, and uses the mathematics of predictable outcomes to show when our chances of winning are actually good. Mathematician Joseph Mazur traces the history of gambling from the earliest known archaeological evidence of dice playing among Neolithic peoples to the first systematic mathematical studies of games of chance during the Renaissance, from government-administered lotteries to the glittering seductions of grand casinos, and on to the global economic crisis brought on by financiers' trillion-dollar bets. Using plenty of engaging anecdotes, Mazur explains the mathematics behind gambling—including the laws of probability, statistics, betting against expectations, and the law of large numbers—and describes the psychological and emotional factors that entice people to put their faith in winning that ever-elusive jackpot despite its mathematical improbability. As entertaining as it is informative, What's Luck Got to Do with It? demonstrates the pervasive nature of our belief in luck and the deceptive psychology of winning and losing. Some images inside the book are unavailable due to digital copyright restrictions.

Best Bet

Author: Laura Pedersen
Publisher: Rising Star
ISBN: 9781440170171
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 320

Book Description
Best Bet is the story of a young woman's journey to discover the world, herself, and what she's left behind.

Bet the House

Author: Richard Roeper
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
ISBN: 1569766118
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 273

Book Description
During the course of 30 days in early 2009, Richard Roeper risked more than a quarter million dollars on practically every method of gambling in America. This title both celebrates and details the pitfalls and lures through Roeper's stories about his lifelong affair with gambling.

Little Bets

Author: Peter Sims
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1439170444
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 226

Book Description
“An enthusiastic, example-rich argument for innovating in a particular way—by deliberately experimenting and taking small exploratory steps in novel directions. Light, bright, and packed with tidy anecdotes” (The Wall Street Journal). What do Apple CEO Steve Jobs, comedian Chris Rock, prize-winning architect Frank Gehry, and the story developers at Pixar films all have in common? Bestselling author Peter Sims found that rather than start with a big idea or plan a whole project in advance, they make a methodical series of little bets, learning critical information from lots of little failures and from small but significant wins. Reporting on a fascinating range of research, from the psychology of creative blocks to the influential field of design thinking, Sims offers engaging and illuminating accounts of breakthrough innovators at work, and a whole new way of thinking about how to navigate uncertain situations and unleash our untapped creative powers.

The Logic Of Sports Betting

Author: Matthew Davidow
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781096805724
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 238

Book Description
How do sportsbooks make their lines? Which types of bets are the best? Can you beat the house? The Logic Of Sports Betting answers all these questions and more with a dash of humor and a whole lot of real talk about how it all works. Peek behind the counter and learn how sportsbooks operate. Combine that insider knowledge with why-didn't-I-think-of-that sports betting logic, and you have the winning formula. Ed Miller is a best-selling (over 300,000 copies sold) author of books on poker and gambling. This is his first book on sports betting, but maybe his favorite book to write so far. Matthew Davidow is a sports modeler, using proprietary methods to beat major sports betting markets for over 15 years, and co-founding two leading private sports analytics firms along the way. What people are saying about The Logic Of Sports Betting "Matt and Ed are two of the smartest minds in sports betting." - Rufus Peabody, professional sports bettor "As a sportsbook employee for 30-plus years, I find it difficult to read or watch anything about sports betting. But I could not put The Logic Of Sports Betting down. It's that good." - Robert Walker, Las Vegas bookmaker

Bet You Can't!

Author: Vicki Cobb
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 9780380545025
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
With this collection of irresistible bets, you can team up with science and be a winner every time. Stump your family, friends, or favorite enemy with these deceptively simple dares. They're all impossible to perform thanks to principles of gravity, mechanics, fluids, logic, energy and perception. For every trick -- whether it be blowing up a balloon in a bottle or kissing your elbow -- the authors reveal the natural cause at work that guarantees human defeat. Here's an entertaining and enticing introduction to basic scientific principles that proves yet another: science can be fun! WINNER OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCE'S CHILDREN'S SCIENCE BOOK AWARD