Product Description

A revealing look at the variety of methods used by advertisers, politicians and corporations to mislead and manipulate the public by means of fancy mathematical footwork. A prominent mathematics author and columnist shows how this mathematical abuse is accomplished, how to recognize it and avoid it. Contains hundreds of actual examples of mathematical chicanery. The last chapter provides further explanations of the mathematics underlying the manipulators covered in each chapter.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #608335 in Books
• Published on: 1996-03-11
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
If you know the difference between lies, damned lies and statistics, give a copy of A K Dewdney's 200% of Nothing to your friends to get them up to speed. If you're not up to speed yourself, consider this funny, engaging little book a crash course in numeracy, the mathematical equivalent of literacy. Opening with two chapters on the importance of this dying talent, Dewdney (formerly Scientific American's "Mathematical Recreations" writer) spooks the reader with real examples of government agencies, media outlets and--of course--car salesmen deceiving their audiences with beguiling mathematical sleights-of-hand.

It's all too easy for us to think we're immune to such tactics until we actually see them laid out for us in prose as clear and disarming as Dewdney's. From there he delves more deeply into practical examples of particular problems that often catch us unaware. Gambling, advertisements using bizarre-but-normal-looking charts and bad science all come in for thorough examinations, and the reader is amazed and occasionally angered at the shamelessness of the purveyors of misleading statistics.

The book closes with two chapters designed to make readers "mathematically streetwise", with exercises to help you grasp ratios, very large and small numbers and probabilities more intuitively. 200% of Nothing inspires learning and makes it interesting--if you want to see through the fog of numbers surrounding politicians and advertisements, there's no better place to start. --Rob Lightner

Synopsis
Acclaim for "In today's world, 'innumeracy' is an even greater danger than illiteracy, and is perhaps even more common. Advertisers and politicians exploit it; intellectuals (self-styled) even flaunt it. I hope that this wise and witty book will provide cures where they are possible, and warnings where they are necessary. "It's also a lot of fun. I can guarantee that 100 per cent."-Arthur C. Clarke "Dewdney retells with charm and wit magnificent morsels of mathematical mayhem discovered by his army of volunteer 'abuse detectives.' From 'sample trashing' to 'numerical terrorism,' from 'percentage pumping' to 'dimensional dementia,' 200 per cent of Nothing plumbs the depths of innumeracy in daily life and reveals what ordinary people can do about it. A rich, readable, instructive, and persuasive book."-Lynn Arthur Steen, Professor of Mathematics, St. Olaf College

About the Author
A. K. DEWDNEY, Ph.D., is Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Western Ontario. Well-known for his popular "Mathematical Recreations" column, which ran in Scientific American for more than eight years, he is also the author of several books, including The Armchair Universe and The Planiverse: Computer Contact with a Two-Dimensional World.

Customer Reviews

"200 Percent of Nothing" is 50 Percent Paulos
When Dewdney took over Douglas Hofstadter's Scientific American column, he had some pretty big shoes to fill. But he did a marvellous job, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading his Computer Recreations every month. They were original and inspiring. With 200 percent of nothing, Dewdney is clearly scraping the barrel. When I read it, I thought it was OK, although I found the style of writing pretty bad. Still, there was enough enjoyable material there. However, I recently read John Allen Paulos' "Innumeracy", and that was a real shocker. Paulos' book is *so* much better than Dewdney's, that it is embarrasing the latter one. Not only that, but comparing the two books, it is evident that Dewdney leaned heavily on "Innumeracy". Yes, he *does* reference the book, but many, many of his examples are taken straight from it. Worse even, he writes the examples in his own words, which makes it immediately clear that he is not even close to the perfect style of writing Paulos displays. After having read "200 Percent of Nothing", I gave it a 7, but after reading "Innumeracy" (which I rate at 10), Dewdney's feeble attempt devaluates to a 4. "200 Percent of Nothing" is 50 Percent Paulos and 150 Percent hot air.

Confirms what I've always suspected.
The way you feel when you see those 1-900-pshycic info-mercials (how can ANYONE be SO stupid?). Well, after reading this book, I can summize why the people who DON'T call DON'T call... Certainly an adequate and explainative adaptation to modern, everyday reasoning; as well as how it realistically corresponds to the average "Joe". Put new batteries in your scientific calculator, and have a ball comparing notes! At times, somewhat a little insulting to your intelligence, while at other times opens your eyes to simple little things that you've seen 100 times, put into a true but different perspective. Bottom line...I'm glad that I bought it, and will most assuredly reference it from time to time now that its on my bookshelf.