From probable improbabilities to regular irregularities, Probabilties: The Little Numbers That Rule Our Lives investigates the often surprising effects of risk and chance in our everyday lives. With examples ranging from WWII espionage to the O.J. Simpson trial, from bridge to blackjack, from Julius Caesar to Jerry Seinfeld, the reader is taught how to think straight in a world of randomness and uncertainty.

Throughout the book, readers learn:

Why it is not that surprising for someone to win the lottery twice

How a faulty probability calculation forced an innocent woman to spend three years in prison

How to place bets if you absolutely insist on gambling

How a newspaper turned an opinion poll into one of the greatest election blunders in history

Educational, eloquent, and entertaining, Probabilities: The Little Numbers That Rule Our Lives is the ideal companion for those who want to get a better understanding of the mathematics of chance without getting bogged down in formulas and technicalities.

PETER OLOFSSON, PhD, is currently a Visiting Associate Professor at Tulane University in New Orleans. Dr. Olofsson is an active researcher in the field of applied probability and is an experienced teacher. He is the author of the Wiley textbook Probability, Statistics, and Stochastic Processes.