MARC Record from Library of Congress

LEADER: 03470cam a2200385 i 4500
001 2013034007
003 DLC
005 20141210085749.0
008 130823s2014 nyua b 001 0 eng
010 $a 2013034007
020 $a9780374175344 (hbk.))
020 $a0374175349 (hbk.)
020 $z9780374711399 (ebk.)
040 $aDLC$beng$cDLC$erda$dDLC
042 $apcc
050 00 $aQA273$b.H3545 2014
082 00 $a519.2$223
084 $aMAT029000$aBUS061000$aBUS063000$2bisacsh
100 1 $aHand, D. J.$q(David J.),$d1950-
245 14 $aThe improbability principle :$bwhy coincidences, miracles, and rare events happen every day /$cDavid J. Hand.
250 $aFirst edition.
264 1 $aNew York :$bScientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux,$c2014.
300 $axii, 269 pages :$billustrations ;$c24 cm
336 $atext$2rdacontent
337 $aunmediated$2rdamedia
338 $avolume$2rdacarrier
520 $a"An eye-opening and engrossing look at rare moments, why they occur, and how they shape our world In The Improbability Principle, the renowned statistician David J. Hand unveils his groundbreaking argument that extraordinarily rare events are in fact commonplace. Weaving together fascinating new ways to think about chance, Hand highlights his "law of near enough," the "look elsewhere effect," and more, doing for probability what Newton's laws of motion did for mechanics. Through humorous and engaging tales of two-time lottery winners, gambling gone wrong, and bizarre coincidences that we can't quite fathom, Hand argues that extremely unlikely events must happen, and no mystical or supernatural explanation is necessary to understand why. Hand's investigation, grounded in statistics and brought to life with fascinating anecdotes, finally explains "unexplainable" events such as unexpectedly bumping into a friend in a foreign country and coming across an unfamiliar word twice in one day. Along the way, we learn what the Bible and Shakespeare have in common, just how to win the lottery, why financial crashes are par for the course, and why lightning does strike the same place (and the same person) more than once. As Hand makes clear, we can rest assured that we'll experience a "miracle" roughly once per month. An irresistible adventure into the laws behind chance moments, The Improbability Principle transforms how we think about business decisions, everyday encounters, serendipity, and luck"--$cProvided by publisher.
520 $a"An eye-opening and engrossing look at rare moments, why they occur, and how they shape our world"--$cProvided by publisher.
504 $aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 247-256) and index.
505 00 $tThe mystery --$tA capricious universe --$tWhat is chance? --$tThe law of inevitability --$tThe law of truly large numbers --$tThe law of selection --$tThe law of the probability lever --$tThe law of near enough --$tThe human mind --$tLife, the universe, and everything --$tHow to use the improbability principle --$gAppendix A.$tMind-numbingly large and mind-bogglingly small --$gAppendix B.$tRules of chance.
650 0 $aProbabilities.
650 7 $aMATHEMATICS / Probability & Statistics / General.$2bisacsh
650 7 $aBUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Statistics.$2bisacsh
650 7 $aBUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Strategic Planning.$2bisacsh
856 42 $3Cover image$uhttp://www.netread.com/jcusers2/bk1388/344/9780374175344/image/lgcover.9780374175344.jpg