Reviews from Amazon

Reviews elsewhere on the web:

Jeffrey Rosenthal

Struck by Lightning

We live in an uncertain world, and an understanding of probability is vital to prevent us from being decieved by false claims of certainty. In Struck by Lightning:Struck by Lightning: The Curious World of Probabilities , Jeffrey Rosenthal gives a gentle introduction to the subject to those untutored in the ins and outs of probability.

Rosenthal starts by looking at the coincidences we tend to see in our lives, showing they usually aren't as unlikely as they may seem. Elsewhere he discusses our assessment of risks, showing that they often aren't as bad as we may think. Probability is often associated with games of chance, and several chapters of the book to this topic, showing how casinos always win in the end. Rosenthal also discusses how to interpret statistical studies, and how to look out for possible bias. There are chapters on the perils of opinion polls, on randomness in biology and physics and on how probability is used in distinguishing genuine emails from spam. And of course there's a discussion of the infamous Monty Hall question.

Some books appeal both to the beginner and to those with more experience in a subject, but I'm not sure that this is one of them - I'm not convinced there's enough to hold the interest of those who already know something about probability theory. But if you don't and you want a light-hearted introduction to the subject then this is probably the book for you.

Amazon.com info

Paperback 270 pages
ISBN: 0309097347
Salesrank: 209929
Weight:0.65 lbs

Published: 2006 Joseph Henry Press

Amazon price $15.61

Marketplace:New from $13.50:Used from $10.97

Buy from Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk info

Paperback 288 pages
ISBN: 186207996X
Salesrank: 141289
Weight:0.44 lbs

Published: 2008 Granta Books

Amazon price £6.74

Marketplace:New from £0.01:Used from £0.01

Buy from Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.ca info

Hardcover 258 pages
ISBN: 0002007916
Salesrank: 104153
Weight:0.1 lbs

Published: 2005 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

Amazon price CDN$ 21.91

Marketplace:New from CDN$ 21.91:Used from CDN$ 12.24

Buy from Amazon.ca

Product Description
READ THIS BOOK: Win the Lottery? From terrorist attacks to big money jackpots, Struck by Lightning deconstructs the odds and oddities of chance, examining both the relevant and irreverent role of randomness in our everyday lives. Human beings have long been both fascinated and appalled by randomness. On the one hand, we love the thrill of a surprise party, the unpredictability of a budding romance, or the freedom of not knowing what tomorrow will bring. We are inexplicably delighted by strange coincidences and striking similarities. But we also hate uncertainty’s dark side. From cancer to SARS, diseases strike with no apparent pattern. Terrorists attack, airplanes crash, bridges collapse, and we never know if we’ll be that one in a million statistic. We are all constantly faced with situations and choices that involve randomness and uncertainty. A basic understanding of the rules of probability theory, applied to real-life circumstances, can help us to make sense of these situations, to avoid unnecessary fear, to seize the opportunities that randomness presents to us, and to actually enjoy the uncertainties we face. The reality is that when it comes to randomness, you can run, but you can’t hide. So many aspects of our lives are governed by events that are simply not in our control. In this entertaining yet sophisticated look at the world of probabilities, author Jeffrey Rosenthal—and improbably talented math professor—explains the mechanics of randomness and teaches us how to develop an informed perspective on probability.

Product Description

READ THIS BOOK: Win the Lottery? From terrorist attacks to big money jackpots, Struck by Lightning deconstructs the odds and oddities of chance, examining both the relevant and irreverent role of randomness in our everyday lives.

Human beings have long been both fascinated and appalled by randomness. On the one hand, we love the thrill of a surprise party, the unpredictability of a budding romance, or the freedom of not knowing what tomorrow will bring. We are inexplicably delighted by strange coincidences and striking similarities. But we also hate uncertainty’s dark side. From cancer to SARS, diseases strike with no apparent pattern. Terrorists attack, airplanes crash, bridges collapse, and we never know if we’ll be that one in a million statistic.

We are all constantly faced with situations and choices that involve randomness and uncertainty. A basic understanding of the rules of probability theory, applied to real-life circumstances, can help us to make sense of these situations, to avoid unnecessary fear, to seize the opportunities that randomness presents to us, and to actually enjoy the uncertainties we face.

The reality is that when it comes to randomness, you can run, but you can’t hide. So many aspects of our lives are governed by events that are simply not in our control. In this entertaining yet sophisticated look at the world of probabilities, author Jeffrey Rosenthal—and improbably talented math professor—explains the mechanics of randomness and teaches us how to develop an informed perspective on probability.

A fun way to use statistics ****
This book uses statistics to demonstrate that "truths" that we often site just are not proven when we look at the numbers. A good read

A fun way to use statistics ****

This book uses statistics to demonstrate that "truths" that we often site just are not proven when we look at the numbers. A good read

Excellent Intro to Statistical Concepts ****
Jeffrey Rosenthal's book 'Struck by Lightning' provides a fun introduction to statistical concepts without the need for higher math. He makes the reader aware of how various laws of statistics influence our decisions and perceptions - and gives some guidance on how to avoid getting hoodwinked by screaming headlines or too-good-to-be-true sales pitches and offers. The book is written for the general public and covers a wide range of statistical areas - from game theory and probablities to chaos and randomness - without sounding academic. People already familiar with statistics will find this an entertaining read to see how theory applies to real life, including the interpretation of medical studies, election results and crime statistics.

Excellent Intro to Statistical Concepts ****

Jeffrey Rosenthal's book 'Struck by Lightning' provides a fun introduction to statistical concepts without the need for higher math. He makes the reader aware of how various laws of statistics influence our decisions and perceptions - and gives some guidance on how to avoid getting hoodwinked by screaming headlines or too-good-to-be-true sales pitches and offers.

The book is written for the general public and covers a wide range of statistical areas - from game theory and probablities to chaos and randomness - without sounding academic. People already familiar with statistics will find this an entertaining read to see how theory applies to real life, including the interpretation of medical studies, election results and crime statistics.

Struck By Simplicity ***
Honestly, if there was a .5 rating system I would give this book 3.5/5 stars. The author delivers a great basic look at statistics and I will admit I took away information from it I had previously either not considered or thought about. A mark of a good read for me. Despite having just said it was a good read it unfortunately was not what I had hoped for. I am in to statistics myself, more as an amature stats guy as I don't dabble in statistics professionally nor do I have an educational background in it, however I am self taught and fairly knowledgeable and that made reading this book comparable to gearing up to watch a gory Hostel type horror movie and instead ending up watching Dracula staring Bela Lugosi. I recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain some knowledge on statistics and probability from a real world percpective. The author definitely delivers there. For anyone who would like to learn more, like how variables affect outcome and what should be taken in to consideration when making those calculations, this book is not for you.

Struck By Simplicity ***

Honestly, if there was a .5 rating system I would give this book 3.5/5 stars. The author delivers a great basic look at statistics and I will admit I took away information from it I had previously either not considered or thought about. A mark of a good read for me.

Despite having just said it was a good read it unfortunately was not what I had hoped for. I am in to statistics myself, more as an amature stats guy as I don't dabble in statistics professionally nor do I have an educational background in it, however I am self taught and fairly knowledgeable and that made reading this book comparable to gearing up to watch a gory Hostel type horror movie and instead ending up watching Dracula staring Bela Lugosi.

I recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain some knowledge on statistics and probability from a real world percpective. The author definitely delivers there. For anyone who would like to learn more, like how variables affect outcome and what should be taken in to consideration when making those calculations, this book is not for you.

Easy for the layman to understand *****
It's difficult enough to get a high school student interested in probabilty. It's nearly impossible to get an adult to understand the workings of probability theory. Sometimes I think that if I hear the "Law of Averages" invoked one more time by an aggressive driver or a lottery player, I'll scream. I wish there were some way to teach the average human being about probability. "Lightning" is a good start. It does not read like a textbook. It presents the ideas behind probability using object lessons and examples that even the dullest layman can relate to. It introduces the concepts first, using concrete examples such as lottery winnings and crime statistics, and then presents the abstract principle behind the concepts, and attaches the proper technical labels to the concepts and the principle. The author introduces the reader early to the idea of a "Probability Perspective," a new way to look at the world through eyes that understand probability. The author returns constantly to this theme of the Probability Perspective, with the expectation that by the end of the book the reader will understand what is meant by the term, and will have claimed such a perspective as his own. Some of the chapters can be read independently, and some build on previous chapters. It's most useful to read the book from cover to cover. The final chapter is a carefully disguised "final exam," at the end of which the readers can decide for themselves whether they have acquired a Probability Perspective. The language of the book is appropriate for a high school senior or a college student, and is easily readable by an adult. The only problem with the book is not the book itself, but the subject. Most people will judge the book by its cover (or at least by its subject) and, thinking that probability is either boring or difficult to understand, will pass by this book on their way to something with more cachet. They're missing out on a good read.

Easy for the layman to understand *****

It's difficult enough to get a high school student interested in probabilty. It's nearly impossible to get an adult to understand the workings of probability theory. Sometimes I think that if I hear the "Law of Averages" invoked one more time by an aggressive driver or a lottery player, I'll scream. I wish there were some way to teach the average human being about probability.

"Lightning" is a good start. It does not read like a textbook. It presents the ideas behind probability using object lessons and examples that even the dullest layman can relate to. It introduces the concepts first, using concrete examples such as lottery winnings and crime statistics, and then presents the abstract principle behind the concepts, and attaches the proper technical labels to the concepts and the principle.

The author introduces the reader early to the idea of a "Probability Perspective," a new way to look at the world through eyes that understand probability. The author returns constantly to this theme of the Probability Perspective, with the expectation that by the end of the book the reader will understand what is meant by the term, and will have claimed such a perspective as his own.

Some of the chapters can be read independently, and some build on previous chapters. It's most useful to read the book from cover to cover. The final chapter is a carefully disguised "final exam," at the end of which the readers can decide for themselves whether they have acquired a Probability Perspective.

The language of the book is appropriate for a high school senior or a college student, and is easily readable by an adult.

The only problem with the book is not the book itself, but the subject. Most people will judge the book by its cover (or at least by its subject) and, thinking that probability is either boring or difficult to understand, will pass by this book on their way to something with more cachet. They're missing out on a good read.

Not Exactly Freakonomics **
Maybe I've been spoiled after reading Freakonomics, which was so clever and unique it was hard to put down, but I found this book to be pretty dull in comparison. Most of the examples were just not that interesting or unique topics to read about, such as gambling odds, political polls, crime statistics and a rehash of the Monte Hall problem from Parade magazine, which was widely written about years ago.

Not Exactly Freakonomics **

Maybe I've been spoiled after reading Freakonomics, which was so clever and unique it was hard to put down, but I found this book to be pretty dull in comparison. Most of the examples were just not that interesting or unique topics to read about, such as gambling odds, political polls, crime statistics and a rehash of the Monte Hall problem from Parade magazine, which was widely written about years ago.

Struck by Lightning *****
If probability has been a mystery to you, read this book! It is entertaining and enlightening.

Struck by Lightning *****

If probability has been a mystery to you, read this book! It is entertaining and enlightening.

A bit too simplistic **
This book is probably OK for complete newcomers, but seems a bit lightweight if you were hoping for some new insight or research. What really spoils it though, is the embarrassing 'anecdotes'; silly little stories that illustrate a point about probability whereby the other characters are made to look stupid, while the author comes out of it as the 'winner' because he's so smart. Albeit smug, nerdy and very, very punchable :-)

A bit too simplistic **

This book is probably OK for complete newcomers, but seems a bit lightweight if you were hoping for some new insight or research. What really spoils it though, is the embarrassing 'anecdotes'; silly little stories that illustrate a point about probability whereby the other characters are made to look stupid, while the author comes out of it as the 'winner' because he's so smart. Albeit smug, nerdy and very, very punchable :-)

You'll probably like this, allowing for a 3.8% margin of error ***
If you have read the book, "Why do buses come in threes" many of the statistical quirks identified in this book will be known to you. There are however a number of humerous anecdotes in this book that make it a worthy purchase, especially the story about the frog! Some way into the book the author gets bogged down a bit in electoral statistics, but his stuff on gambling is surprisingly readable and will certainly keep me out of casinos for the forseeable future.

You'll probably like this, allowing for a 3.8% margin of error ***

If you have read the book, "Why do buses come in threes" many of the statistical quirks identified in this book will be known to you. There are however a number of humerous anecdotes in this book that make it a worthy purchase, especially the story about the frog! Some way into the book the author gets bogged down a bit in electoral statistics, but his stuff on gambling is surprisingly readable and will certainly keep me out of casinos for the forseeable future.

SUPER BOOK. *****
This book is great light reading into probability theory in an interesting way, such as your chances of winning the national lottery: if you bought one ticket a week... it would take 250,000 years to win!!! Highly recommended, for all.

SUPER BOOK. *****

This book is great light reading into probability theory in an interesting way, such as your chances of winning the national lottery: if you bought one ticket a week... it would take 250,000 years to win!!!

Highly recommended, for all.

A Great Practical Book on Probability in the Everyday World *****
I love books like this! I saw this one, browsed through it a bit and bought it right away because it looked very good - it was. I can confidently say that this is one of the best books of its type. The author explains, in very clear language, the nature of probability and its use in understanding some of the many areas in everyday life that could otherwise remain very obscure or misunderstood. The topics covered include gambling games and methods, the ways casinos operate (this may be very surprising to many), card games and strategies, pre-election polls, certain game shows, the war against spam, weather prediction, and many other areas where probability plays a key role. The author, an expert in the field, writes very well and in such an engaging and often humorous style that the book is almost impossible to put down. Those who read this book will understand a bit more about how the world that we live in actually works. I highly recommended this book to everyone!!

A Great Practical Book on Probability in the Everyday World *****

I love books like this! I saw this one, browsed through it a bit and bought it right away because it looked very good - it was. I can confidently say that this is one of the best books of its type. The author explains, in very clear language, the nature of probability and its use in understanding some of the many areas in everyday life that could otherwise remain very obscure or misunderstood. The topics covered include gambling games and methods, the ways casinos operate (this may be very surprising to many), card games and strategies, pre-election polls, certain game shows, the war against spam, weather prediction, and many other areas where probability plays a key role. The author, an expert in the field, writes very well and in such an engaging and often humorous style that the book is almost impossible to put down. Those who read this book will understand a bit more about how the world that we live in actually works. I highly recommended this book to everyone!!

Poker, lotteries, viruses and polls - this is math! ****
Struck By Lightning does a fantastic job of making probability accessible to non-math geeks. This would have been a great one to accompany my statistics course in university! While at times Rosenthal seems to get a little too caught up in explaining all the numbers and equations, this book is highly readable and enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the little "final exam" at the end!

Poker, lotteries, viruses and polls - this is math! ****

Struck By Lightning does a fantastic job of making probability accessible to non-math geeks. This would have been a great one to accompany my statistics course in university! While at times Rosenthal seems to get a little too caught up in explaining all the numbers and equations, this book is highly readable and enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the little "final exam" at the end!