Partial plagiarism of his central thesis?, 02 Nov 2008
Reading these reviews leads me immediately to the realisation that this work may possibly be little better than plagiarism. Siméon-Denis Poisson first examined the statistical modelling of low-probability events in 1838, within a much wider corpus of scientific research in pure and applied natural and social sciences. One immediate conclusion is that the probability of low-odds events occurring (where there is no impedement to frequent possible events) is much higher than normal binomial probability suggests. As this is the heart of Taleb's thesis, he's at best reinvented the wheel.
On the basis of his introduction, examining the work of Umberto Eco, I suspect he falls into a trap of his own pretentiousness, insofar as Professor Eco sometimes espouses hermetic doctrines in his fictional works established long before our days by the Vatican and other similar bodies. His is not the work of a freelance research student, but of an acolyte, affirmed by his other publications of a non-fictional character, displaying the formation of his mentation. It is not therefore appropriate to suggest that there is much of a serendipitous nature about his well-researched, yet doctrinally conformist, theses, and that disables Taleb's first shuffle.
I therefore conclude that as both foundations to his thesis, namely his starting point and the incremental progression thenceforward, appear to be weak, this may not arrive at any logically coherent conclusions at all. Those of a religious disposition might choose to develop that objection further, insofar as the inexplicable Poisson anomaly has sometimes been argued as a scientifically-rigourous case for a non-bounded ontological eidos (or in plain language, "there are more things in heaven and earth, Nicholas, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."), but each to his own: at the very least, he is not doing fresh research by a very long way, as this was very old hat in our market modelling in the 1980s.

Scintillating , 25 Oct 2008
One of the most intelligent pieces of writing I have come across in my reading career.

It opens up some many new ways of viewing life and its events. Delivered with a delightful touch of arrogance, sudden humour, and iconoclastic precision - the book unearths a paradigm which is so overarchingly pervasive yet consciously ignored by people.

The author's tribute to, and coverage of Benoit Mandelbrot, along with the pooh-poohing of the 'normal' model of reality is a salient highlight, and should not be missed by any serious empiricist.

The book is a black swan.

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition..., 21 Oct 2008
This book is a black swan because against all the odds it got published. It has one idea swollen unappealingly to almost 400 pages. It is full of stereotypes, rich in "imaginative" anecdotes and insufferably pompous. If you want to read about chance and probability then try Ian Stewart; for Chance and Necessity read Jacques Monod (1972).

most insightful book I've read in a long time, 18 Oct 2008
Yes, I understand the criticism that Mr Taleb is full of himself - undoubtedly it shows throughout the book.
However, the amount of insights he provides and the many different angles in which he looks at the problem hammers the point through our hard-wired brains, and in my case, provided a fundamental change to the way I think and approach problems.
Definitely, a must read book.

The Emperor has no clothes, 10 Oct 2008
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
A highly disappointing text from an erudite and capable author. The book is fallacious, misleading and mischievous. The abuse of simple statistical distributions alone warrants not taking it seriously. It is oversold by the blurb and does not do what it says on the cover. Extremely disappointing.

Partial plagiarism of his central thesis?, 02 Nov 2008
Reading these reviews leads me immediately to the realisation that this work may possibly be little better than plagiarism. Siméon-Denis Poisson first examined the statistical modelling of low-probability events in 1838, within a much wider corpus of scientific research in pure and applied natural and social sciences. One immediate conclusion is that the probability of low-odds events occurring (where there is no impedement to frequent possible events) is much higher than normal binomial probability suggests. As this is the heart of Taleb's thesis, he's at best reinvented the wheel.
On the basis of his introduction, examining the work of Umberto Eco, I suspect he falls into a trap of his own pretentiousness, insofar as Professor Eco sometimes espouses hermetic doctrines in his fictional works established long before our days by the Vatican and other similar bodies. His is not the work of a freelance research student, but of an acolyte, affirmed by his other publications of a non-fictional character, displaying the formation of his mentation. It is not therefore appropriate to suggest that there is much of a serendipitous nature about his well-researched, yet doctrinally conformist, theses, and that disables Taleb's first shuffle.
I therefore conclude that as both foundations to his thesis, namely his starting point and the incremental progression thenceforward, appear to be weak, this may not arrive at any logically coherent conclusions at all. Those of a religious disposition might choose to develop that objection further, insofar as the inexplicable Poisson anomaly has sometimes been argued as a scientifically-rigourous case for a non-bounded ontological eidos (or in plain language, "there are more things in heaven and earth, Nicholas, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."), but each to his own: at the very least, he is not doing fresh research by a very long way, as this was very old hat in our market modelling in the 1980s.

Scintillating , 25 Oct 2008
One of the most intelligent pieces of writing I have come across in my reading career.

It opens up some many new ways of viewing life and its events. Delivered with a delightful touch of arrogance, sudden humour, and iconoclastic precision - the book unearths a paradigm which is so overarchingly pervasive yet consciously ignored by people.

The author's tribute to, and coverage of Benoit Mandelbrot, along with the pooh-poohing of the 'normal' model of reality is a salient highlight, and should not be missed by any serious empiricist.

The book is a black swan.

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition..., 21 Oct 2008
This book is a black swan because against all the odds it got published. It has one idea swollen unappealingly to almost 400 pages. It is full of stereotypes, rich in "imaginative" anecdotes and insufferably pompous. If you want to read about chance and probability then try Ian Stewart; for Chance and Necessity read Jacques Monod (1972).

most insightful book I've read in a long time, 18 Oct 2008
Yes, I understand the criticism that Mr Taleb is full of himself - undoubtedly it shows throughout the book.
However, the amount of insights he provides and the many different angles in which he looks at the problem hammers the point through our hard-wired brains, and in my case, provided a fundamental change to the way I think and approach problems.
Definitely, a must read book.

The Emperor has no clothes, 10 Oct 2008
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
A highly disappointing text from an erudite and capable author. The book is fallacious, misleading and mischievous. The abuse of simple statistical distributions alone warrants not taking it seriously. It is oversold by the blurb and does not do what it says on the cover. Extremely disappointing.

it got me interested in magic squares , 17 Nov 2008
this book admittedly is not laid out in an obviously systematic way but i m not sure that matters. it got me interested in some things that i thought were rather boring, and on the whole though i haven t read it all through yet it does seem to the makings of a very good read, though inevitably some of the puzzles will be very familiar.

the version that i have has an incorrect printing of the 3x3 "nearly magic" square on p66, the first of the two examples. the fix is fairly easy though and provides a nice additional problem for anyone interested!



Falls between two stools, 28 Oct 2008
For me this book is neither a "mathematical puzzle book" or an easy to read account of mathematical curiosities. It seems to be a haphazard melange of both and subsequently, due to their being no real effort to put individual puzzles/essays into easy categories, quite frankly a bit of a mess. Much of the stuff here has been done to death (the 4 colour map problem anyone?) but there is some new stuff here as well as some interesting and fun problems which justifies a 3 star review.

I just wish it had been better organised

fascinating, 22 Oct 2008
a well written and witty look at hundreds of mathematical puzzles, stories and jokes. I am a maths teacher and there is so much material here, it's amazing. I have already used a few of these with my classes and the puzzles have really caught their imagination. Highly recommended

although the solution to the problem on page 143 is wrong

Partial plagiarism of his central thesis?, 02 Nov 2008
Reading these reviews leads me immediately to the realisation that this work may possibly be little better than plagiarism. Siméon-Denis Poisson first examined the statistical modelling of low-probability events in 1838, within a much wider corpus of scientific research in pure and applied natural and social sciences. One immediate conclusion is that the probability of low-odds events occurring (where there is no impedement to frequent possible events) is much higher than normal binomial probability suggests. As this is the heart of Taleb's thesis, he's at best reinvented the wheel.
On the basis of his introduction, examining the work of Umberto Eco, I suspect he falls into a trap of his own pretentiousness, insofar as Professor Eco sometimes espouses hermetic doctrines in his fictional works established long before our days by the Vatican and other similar bodies. His is not the work of a freelance research student, but of an acolyte, affirmed by his other publications of a non-fictional character, displaying the formation of his mentation. It is not therefore appropriate to suggest that there is much of a serendipitous nature about his well-researched, yet doctrinally conformist, theses, and that disables Taleb's first shuffle.
I therefore conclude that as both foundations to his thesis, namely his starting point and the incremental progression thenceforward, appear to be weak, this may not arrive at any logically coherent conclusions at all. Those of a religious disposition might choose to develop that objection further, insofar as the inexplicable Poisson anomaly has sometimes been argued as a scientifically-rigourous case for a non-bounded ontological eidos (or in plain language, "there are more things in heaven and earth, Nicholas, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."), but each to his own: at the very least, he is not doing fresh research by a very long way, as this was very old hat in our market modelling in the 1980s.

Scintillating , 25 Oct 2008
One of the most intelligent pieces of writing I have come across in my reading career.

It opens up some many new ways of viewing life and its events. Delivered with a delightful touch of arrogance, sudden humour, and iconoclastic precision - the book unearths a paradigm which is so overarchingly pervasive yet consciously ignored by people.

The author's tribute to, and coverage of Benoit Mandelbrot, along with the pooh-poohing of the 'normal' model of reality is a salient highlight, and should not be missed by any serious empiricist.

The book is a black swan.

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition..., 21 Oct 2008
This book is a black swan because against all the odds it got published. It has one idea swollen unappealingly to almost 400 pages. It is full of stereotypes, rich in "imaginative" anecdotes and insufferably pompous. If you want to read about chance and probability then try Ian Stewart; for Chance and Necessity read Jacques Monod (1972).

most insightful book I've read in a long time, 18 Oct 2008
Yes, I understand the criticism that Mr Taleb is full of himself - undoubtedly it shows throughout the book.
However, the amount of insights he provides and the many different angles in which he looks at the problem hammers the point through our hard-wired brains, and in my case, provided a fundamental change to the way I think and approach problems.
Definitely, a must read book.

The Emperor has no clothes, 10 Oct 2008
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
A highly disappointing text from an erudite and capable author. The book is fallacious, misleading and mischievous. The abuse of simple statistical distributions alone warrants not taking it seriously. It is oversold by the blurb and does not do what it says on the cover. Extremely disappointing.

it got me interested in magic squares , 17 Nov 2008
this book admittedly is not laid out in an obviously systematic way but i m not sure that matters. it got me interested in some things that i thought were rather boring, and on the whole though i haven t read it all through yet it does seem to the makings of a very good read, though inevitably some of the puzzles will be very familiar.

the version that i have has an incorrect printing of the 3x3 "nearly magic" square on p66, the first of the two examples. the fix is fairly easy though and provides a nice additional problem for anyone interested!



Falls between two stools, 28 Oct 2008
For me this book is neither a "mathematical puzzle book" or an easy to read account of mathematical curiosities. It seems to be a haphazard melange of both and subsequently, due to their being no real effort to put individual puzzles/essays into easy categories, quite frankly a bit of a mess. Much of the stuff here has been done to death (the 4 colour map problem anyone?) but there is some new stuff here as well as some interesting and fun problems which justifies a 3 star review.

I just wish it had been better organised

fascinating, 22 Oct 2008
a well written and witty look at hundreds of mathematical puzzles, stories and jokes. I am a maths teacher and there is so much material here, it's amazing. I have already used a few of these with my classes and the puzzles have really caught their imagination. Highly recommended

although the solution to the problem on page 143 is wrong

Definately worth to read for those who believe in determinism., 15 Nov 2008
The book offers a better perception of randomness and its effect on our lives mostly using stock market examples. Easy to read for the non-expert in probability or statistics it offers a stochastic view on the world which we perceive to be much more deterministic than it is (mostly by confusing the effect with the results).
Although an engineer myself and not totally unaware of statistics or probability, I considered the representation of philosophical ideas through the prism of the book to be enjoyable and worth mentioning. I also found the supporting bibliographic references to be impressive for a book of this subject.
I can see why some of the people gave an unfavorable review to the book mostly with regard of his writing style (although it didn't bother me) but claims backed up with so many references can be easily confirmed if one needs to do so and can be judged for the essence of the meaning rather than the presentation which is of course important but subjective.

Nonsense, 31 Oct 2008
Avoid this like the plague. I foolishly bought it because I'd seen it mentioned several times in the press as somehow revealing something interesting about the current financial crisis and how the author Taleb had some kind of insight into the world of stock markets and beyond.

However, I now realise that most of the excitable reviews surroundng Fooled by Randomness have actually been Fooled by Hype. After all I realise that's why I bought it...

For those who haven't been initiated into the Cult of Taleb, he claims to have privileged information into the way the world really works in the same way other peddlars of reheated buzzwords like to claim. (See Malcolm Gladwell of Tipping Point for another one, although that's a much more enjoyable read.) So instead of a reasoned and logical argument we get a stream of bitty chapters summarising his musings on randomness, stock markets, and, you know, life its-very-self.

The central thesis seems to be (now brace yourself for this revelation): `you can't predict the future'. Whilst technically correct, I'm not really sure we need 300 pages going on and on about it. I think most of the world realises you can't predict the future of the stock markets - or indeed anything much, if you want to be literal about it.

If you really want to muse about the unpredictablilty of stock markets, then watch Aronofsy's, `Pi', which is in a totally different class - given that's it's a quite a good film.

The other big problem with the book is that he's got the world's largest, most irritating, overblown self regard for his own intelligence. His other main theme is: `if you disagree with me, you're an idiot and I will ignore and laugh at you.' Great. What a charmer.

I think the words I'm searching for here are: `he's pompous man who made a few million on the stock market and - contrary to his own `thesis' - seems to think that fact alone justifies his own inflated opinion of himself.

Avoid.

a tour de force of intellectual stimulation, 13 Oct 2008
What's in the title is the best summary of what I found in this book.
Not a treatise on probability or a textbook, but his view of all things randomness - its (mis)understanding, and its consequences: in a mix of philosophy, finance, various stories and blunt judgements.

All in a very personal and quirky, but extremely readable form. Thanks god, no editor put their hands on it!
Quite simply, I couldn't put it down till the last line.

As I wrote in a comment already, I actually believe Taleb's style of writing is totally captivating and pure wit & brilliance at times: perhaps not for everyone, so i'd put it down to a question of taste. Granted, there's more than a little narcissism permeating the book - but is it necessarily a bad thing?
Polemists do have a function, if there's substance in their contents and grace to their style.

Checking reviews here (not many lukewarm!), there's one more thing that seems left out: this book is fun! Personally, one of the best readings ever.



Overrated, 20 Sep 2008
This is surely one of the most overrated popular science books of recent years. Taleb has become a media darling (particularly in the business press) because few journalists there realise that little of what he writes is new or original. And the tone throughout is irritating and patronising. For a much better treatment of many of the same topics, by a humbler and more readable author, buy John Allen Paulos "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" (if it's still in print).

Not bad, but not impressive, 25 Aug 2008
If you nkow the basics of statistics, you'll find nothing new and amazing in this book. However it is a time passing reading and gives the opportunity to remind you of the things you normally attribute to ability and skill. Sometime we tend to overstimate people. I think it is well worth the money of a paperback. One star less for no new discovery and one star less because he considers himself the only one enlightened.

Partial plagiarism of his central thesis?, 02 Nov 2008
Reading these reviews leads me immediately to the realisation that this work may possibly be little better than plagiarism. Siméon-Denis Poisson first examined the statistical modelling of low-probability events in 1838, within a much wider corpus of scientific research in pure and applied natural and social sciences. One immediate conclusion is that the probability of low-odds events occurring (where there is no impedement to frequent possible events) is much higher than normal binomial probability suggests. As this is the heart of Taleb's thesis, he's at best reinvented the wheel.
On the basis of his introduction, examining the work of Umberto Eco, I suspect he falls into a trap of his own pretentiousness, insofar as Professor Eco sometimes espouses hermetic doctrines in his fictional works established long before our days by the Vatican and other similar bodies. His is not the work of a freelance research student, but of an acolyte, affirmed by his other publications of a non-fictional character, displaying the formation of his mentation. It is not therefore appropriate to suggest that there is much of a serendipitous nature about his well-researched, yet doctrinally conformist, theses, and that disables Taleb's first shuffle.
I therefore conclude that as both foundations to his thesis, namely his starting point and the incremental progression thenceforward, appear to be weak, this may not arrive at any logically coherent conclusions at all. Those of a religious disposition might choose to develop that objection further, insofar as the inexplicable Poisson anomaly has sometimes been argued as a scientifically-rigourous case for a non-bounded ontological eidos (or in plain language, "there are more things in heaven and earth, Nicholas, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."), but each to his own: at the very least, he is not doing fresh research by a very long way, as this was very old hat in our market modelling in the 1980s.

Scintillating , 25 Oct 2008
One of the most intelligent pieces of writing I have come across in my reading career.

It opens up some many new ways of viewing life and its events. Delivered with a delightful touch of arrogance, sudden humour, and iconoclastic precision - the book unearths a paradigm which is so overarchingly pervasive yet consciously ignored by people.

The author's tribute to, and coverage of Benoit Mandelbrot, along with the pooh-poohing of the 'normal' model of reality is a salient highlight, and should not be missed by any serious empiricist.

The book is a black swan.

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition..., 21 Oct 2008
This book is a black swan because against all the odds it got published. It has one idea swollen unappealingly to almost 400 pages. It is full of stereotypes, rich in "imaginative" anecdotes and insufferably pompous. If you want to read about chance and probability then try Ian Stewart; for Chance and Necessity read Jacques Monod (1972).

most insightful book I've read in a long time, 18 Oct 2008
Yes, I understand the criticism that Mr Taleb is full of himself - undoubtedly it shows throughout the book.
However, the amount of insights he provides and the many different angles in which he looks at the problem hammers the point through our hard-wired brains, and in my case, provided a fundamental change to the way I think and approach problems.
Definitely, a must read book.

The Emperor has no clothes, 10 Oct 2008
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
A highly disappointing text from an erudite and capable author. The book is fallacious, misleading and mischievous. The abuse of simple statistical distributions alone warrants not taking it seriously. It is oversold by the blurb and does not do what it says on the cover. Extremely disappointing.

it got me interested in magic squares , 17 Nov 2008
this book admittedly is not laid out in an obviously systematic way but i m not sure that matters. it got me interested in some things that i thought were rather boring, and on the whole though i haven t read it all through yet it does seem to the makings of a very good read, though inevitably some of the puzzles will be very familiar.

the version that i have has an incorrect printing of the 3x3 "nearly magic" square on p66, the first of the two examples. the fix is fairly easy though and provides a nice additional problem for anyone interested!



Falls between two stools, 28 Oct 2008
For me this book is neither a "mathematical puzzle book" or an easy to read account of mathematical curiosities. It seems to be a haphazard melange of both and subsequently, due to their being no real effort to put individual puzzles/essays into easy categories, quite frankly a bit of a mess. Much of the stuff here has been done to death (the 4 colour map problem anyone?) but there is some new stuff here as well as some interesting and fun problems which justifies a 3 star review.

I just wish it had been better organised

fascinating, 22 Oct 2008
a well written and witty look at hundreds of mathematical puzzles, stories and jokes. I am a maths teacher and there is so much material here, it's amazing. I have already used a few of these with my classes and the puzzles have really caught their imagination. Highly recommended

although the solution to the problem on page 143 is wrong

Definately worth to read for those who believe in determinism., 15 Nov 2008
The book offers a better perception of randomness and its effect on our lives mostly using stock market examples. Easy to read for the non-expert in probability or statistics it offers a stochastic view on the world which we perceive to be much more deterministic than it is (mostly by confusing the effect with the results).
Although an engineer myself and not totally unaware of statistics or probability, I considered the representation of philosophical ideas through the prism of the book to be enjoyable and worth mentioning. I also found the supporting bibliographic references to be impressive for a book of this subject.
I can see why some of the people gave an unfavorable review to the book mostly with regard of his writing style (although it didn't bother me) but claims backed up with so many references can be easily confirmed if one needs to do so and can be judged for the essence of the meaning rather than the presentation which is of course important but subjective.

Nonsense, 31 Oct 2008
Avoid this like the plague. I foolishly bought it because I'd seen it mentioned several times in the press as somehow revealing something interesting about the current financial crisis and how the author Taleb had some kind of insight into the world of stock markets and beyond.

However, I now realise that most of the excitable reviews surroundng Fooled by Randomness have actually been Fooled by Hype. After all I realise that's why I bought it...

For those who haven't been initiated into the Cult of Taleb, he claims to have privileged information into the way the world really works in the same way other peddlars of reheated buzzwords like to claim. (See Malcolm Gladwell of Tipping Point for another one, although that's a much more enjoyable read.) So instead of a reasoned and logical argument we get a stream of bitty chapters summarising his musings on randomness, stock markets, and, you know, life its-very-self.

The central thesis seems to be (now brace yourself for this revelation): `you can't predict the future'. Whilst technically correct, I'm not really sure we need 300 pages going on and on about it. I think most of the world realises you can't predict the future of the stock markets - or indeed anything much, if you want to be literal about it.

If you really want to muse about the unpredictablilty of stock markets, then watch Aronofsy's, `Pi', which is in a totally different class - given that's it's a quite a good film.

The other big problem with the book is that he's got the world's largest, most irritating, overblown self regard for his own intelligence. His other main theme is: `if you disagree with me, you're an idiot and I will ignore and laugh at you.' Great. What a charmer.

I think the words I'm searching for here are: `he's pompous man who made a few million on the stock market and - contrary to his own `thesis' - seems to think that fact alone justifies his own inflated opinion of himself.

Avoid.

a tour de force of intellectual stimulation, 13 Oct 2008
What's in the title is the best summary of what I found in this book.
Not a treatise on probability or a textbook, but his view of all things randomness - its (mis)understanding, and its consequences: in a mix of philosophy, finance, various stories and blunt judgements.

All in a very personal and quirky, but extremely readable form. Thanks god, no editor put their hands on it!
Quite simply, I couldn't put it down till the last line.

As I wrote in a comment already, I actually believe Taleb's style of writing is totally captivating and pure wit & brilliance at times: perhaps not for everyone, so i'd put it down to a question of taste. Granted, there's more than a little narcissism permeating the book - but is it necessarily a bad thing?
Polemists do have a function, if there's substance in their contents and grace to their style.

Checking reviews here (not many lukewarm!), there's one more thing that seems left out: this book is fun! Personally, one of the best readings ever.



Overrated, 20 Sep 2008
This is surely one of the most overrated popular science books of recent years. Taleb has become a media darling (particularly in the business press) because few journalists there realise that little of what he writes is new or original. And the tone throughout is irritating and patronising. For a much better treatment of many of the same topics, by a humbler and more readable author, buy John Allen Paulos "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" (if it's still in print).

Not bad, but not impressive, 25 Aug 2008
If you nkow the basics of statistics, you'll find nothing new and amazing in this book. However it is a time passing reading and gives the opportunity to remind you of the things you normally attribute to ability and skill. Sometime we tend to overstimate people. I think it is well worth the money of a paperback. One star less for no new discovery and one star less because he considers himself the only one enlightened.

Excellent book, 15 Nov 2008
When I was a young man, I embarked on a degree in mechanical engineering. This was about 30 years ago. In the first year alone we had to study about eight different subjects.

These included fluid mechanics, drawing and design, solid body mechanics, electricity, mathematics, materials science, physics and thermodymamics.

I had passed three 'A' levels in chemistry, mathematics and physics while at school.

I remember that this book was easy to follow and helped me to pass my first year mathematics exam with very high marks and little effort. My nephew is now studying civil engineering and I recommended this book to him. He said that it had made all the difference.

This book uses a method of learning called programme learning in which each stage is carefully broken down. One practices a few examples in order to check one's understanding and then moves on to the next section.

Although the content in this book is somewhat stronger than 'A' level mathematics it is definitely a book for engineers and scientists who use mathematics as a tool. It hasn't got the rigorous and almost philosophical approach to the subject that one would encounter if studying the subject in its own right.

The applications are found in other subjects such as mechanics of machines, solid body mechanics and electricity. Although called engineering mathematics this book really contains the pure mathematics that engineering students need for studying other disciplines rather than applied mathematics. If you like to think in terms of pure and applied mathematics then some of the other subjects such as mechanics or electricity actually contain the applied mathematics.

Ever since using this book, I have always tried to find books using a similar approach when required to study other subjects e.g. accounting, computer studies, economics and languages.

It is surprising how few books use this excellent method as I think it would work well with other logical, numerical and scientific subjects such as accounting, economics, grammar, physics and ancient and modern languages. It certainly takes away a lot of the heavy lifting involved in learning a new subject.

Holds your hand, 04 Nov 2008
There are many positive reviews of this book and its earlier additions, for good reason. I've found this a book very useful reference for my MEng Electrical/Electronic Engineering degree.

In my opinion, the best thing about this book is that takes you through every step, beginning with a number line right the way through to the more tricky stuff. Before I started my degree I wasn't confident with maths and shaky on even the basics - now I'm about to finish my Masters degree and I feel like a maths pro! Mostly thanks to this book and its companion.

The only maths book you will ever need, 21 Feb 2008
I have been out of education for 10 years before I started my degree so I was very apprehensive about the maths. This book works wonders especially the DVD you get with it to help problem solve. This is such a well structured book with lots of worked examples.

A must have for Engineering students

Unrivalled; clear, concise and well written., 10 Aug 2007
This book is superb, I can only fault its size but the depth of coverage warrants such mammoth dimensions. The material covered within is done so in a structured fashion, ensuring the reader can actually grasp the material as appose to just learning the methodology. I have not had to use this book as a standalone revision tool but in conjunction with my maths notes, it is unbeatable. The exercise problems can get a bit tedious and some of the leaps in difficulty are inexplicable but a little extra searching and practice will iron out any reservations. If you are studying any engineering degree I would seriously recommend splashing the cash, you may not use it extensively at first but having it as a resource has been invaluable for me.

Got lost!, 16 Jul 2007
This is undoubtedly a good book but it put me to sleep at times as I could not see how all these calculations would be useful to me when I graduated. I assumed an Engineering Math book would have examples from Engineering cases but they were few and far between. I did find some other books that did this in the library.

This is a good book for learning by heart how to do these things but I think I remember about 20% of it now that the exam is over! I wanted to understand it not learn it by heart. :(

Stroud is massive! It has practically an entire intro to math book at the start which at best is good for a glance because, as an Engineer, my Math is OK. It is a huge big clunking book which broke my back carrying it but was useful none the less.

Partial plagiarism of his central thesis?, 02 Nov 2008
Reading these reviews leads me immediately to the realisation that this work may possibly be little better than plagiarism. Siméon-Denis Poisson first examined the statistical modelling of low-probability events in 1838, within a much wider corpus of scientific research in pure and applied natural and social sciences. One immediate conclusion is that the probability of low-odds events occurring (where there is no impedement to frequent possible events) is much higher than normal binomial probability suggests. As this is the heart of Taleb's thesis, he's at best reinvented the wheel.
On the basis of his introduction, examining the work of Umberto Eco, I suspect he falls into a trap of his own pretentiousness, insofar as Professor Eco sometimes espouses hermetic doctrines in his fictional works established long before our days by the Vatican and other similar bodies. His is not the work of a freelance research student, but of an acolyte, affirmed by his other publications of a non-fictional character, displaying the formation of his mentation. It is not therefore appropriate to suggest that there is much of a serendipitous nature about his well-researched, yet doctrinally conformist, theses, and that disables Taleb's first shuffle.
I therefore conclude that as both foundations to his thesis, namely his starting point and the incremental progression thenceforward, appear to be weak, this may not arrive at any logically coherent conclusions at all. Those of a religious disposition might choose to develop that objection further, insofar as the inexplicable Poisson anomaly has sometimes been argued as a scientifically-rigourous case for a non-bounded ontological eidos (or in plain language, "there are more things in heaven and earth, Nicholas, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."), but each to his own: at the very least, he is not doing fresh research by a very long way, as this was very old hat in our market modelling in the 1980s.

Scintillating , 25 Oct 2008
One of the most intelligent pieces of writing I have come across in my reading career.

It opens up some many new ways of viewing life and its events. Delivered with a delightful touch of arrogance, sudden humour, and iconoclastic precision - the book unearths a paradigm which is so overarchingly pervasive yet consciously ignored by people.

The author's tribute to, and coverage of Benoit Mandelbrot, along with the pooh-poohing of the 'normal' model of reality is a salient highlight, and should not be missed by any serious empiricist.

The book is a black swan.

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition..., 21 Oct 2008
This book is a black swan because against all the odds it got published. It has one idea swollen unappealingly to almost 400 pages. It is full of stereotypes, rich in "imaginative" anecdotes and insufferably pompous. If you want to read about chance and probability then try Ian Stewart; for Chance and Necessity read Jacques Monod (1972).

most insightful book I've read in a long time, 18 Oct 2008
Yes, I understand the criticism that Mr Taleb is full of himself - undoubtedly it shows throughout the book.
However, the amount of insights he provides and the many different angles in which he looks at the problem hammers the point through our hard-wired brains, and in my case, provided a fundamental change to the way I think and approach problems.
Definitely, a must read book.

The Emperor has no clothes, 10 Oct 2008
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
A highly disappointing text from an erudite and capable author. The book is fallacious, misleading and mischievous. The abuse of simple statistical distributions alone warrants not taking it seriously. It is oversold by the blurb and does not do what it says on the cover. Extremely disappointing.

it got me interested in magic squares , 17 Nov 2008
this book admittedly is not laid out in an obviously systematic way but i m not sure that matters. it got me interested in some things that i thought were rather boring, and on the whole though i haven t read it all through yet it does seem to the makings of a very good read, though inevitably some of the puzzles will be very familiar.

the version that i have has an incorrect printing of the 3x3 "nearly magic" square on p66, the first of the two examples. the fix is fairly easy though and provides a nice additional problem for anyone interested!



Falls between two stools, 28 Oct 2008
For me this book is neither a "mathematical puzzle book" or an easy to read account of mathematical curiosities. It seems to be a haphazard melange of both and subsequently, due to their being no real effort to put individual puzzles/essays into easy categories, quite frankly a bit of a mess. Much of the stuff here has been done to death (the 4 colour map problem anyone?) but there is some new stuff here as well as some interesting and fun problems which justifies a 3 star review.

I just wish it had been better organised

fascinating, 22 Oct 2008
a well written and witty look at hundreds of mathematical puzzles, stories and jokes. I am a maths teacher and there is so much material here, it's amazing. I have already used a few of these with my classes and the puzzles have really caught their imagination. Highly recommended

although the solution to the problem on page 143 is wrong

Definately worth to read for those who believe in determinism., 15 Nov 2008
The book offers a better perception of randomness and its effect on our lives mostly using stock market examples. Easy to read for the non-expert in probability or statistics it offers a stochastic view on the world which we perceive to be much more deterministic than it is (mostly by confusing the effect with the results).
Although an engineer myself and not totally unaware of statistics or probability, I considered the representation of philosophical ideas through the prism of the book to be enjoyable and worth mentioning. I also found the supporting bibliographic references to be impressive for a book of this subject.
I can see why some of the people gave an unfavorable review to the book mostly with regard of his writing style (although it didn't bother me) but claims backed up with so many references can be easily confirmed if one needs to do so and can be judged for the essence of the meaning rather than the presentation which is of course important but subjective.

Nonsense, 31 Oct 2008
Avoid this like the plague. I foolishly bought it because I'd seen it mentioned several times in the press as somehow revealing something interesting about the current financial crisis and how the author Taleb had some kind of insight into the world of stock markets and beyond.

However, I now realise that most of the excitable reviews surroundng Fooled by Randomness have actually been Fooled by Hype. After all I realise that's why I bought it...

For those who haven't been initiated into the Cult of Taleb, he claims to have privileged information into the way the world really works in the same way other peddlars of reheated buzzwords like to claim. (See Malcolm Gladwell of Tipping Point for another one, although that's a much more enjoyable read.) So instead of a reasoned and logical argument we get a stream of bitty chapters summarising his musings on randomness, stock markets, and, you know, life its-very-self.

The central thesis seems to be (now brace yourself for this revelation): `you can't predict the future'. Whilst technically correct, I'm not really sure we need 300 pages going on and on about it. I think most of the world realises you can't predict the future of the stock markets - or indeed anything much, if you want to be literal about it.

If you really want to muse about the unpredictablilty of stock markets, then watch Aronofsy's, `Pi', which is in a totally different class - given that's it's a quite a good film.

The other big problem with the book is that he's got the world's largest, most irritating, overblown self regard for his own intelligence. His other main theme is: `if you disagree with me, you're an idiot and I will ignore and laugh at you.' Great. What a charmer.

I think the words I'm searching for here are: `he's pompous man who made a few million on the stock market and - contrary to his own `thesis' - seems to think that fact alone justifies his own inflated opinion of himself.

Avoid.

a tour de force of intellectual stimulation, 13 Oct 2008
What's in the title is the best summary of what I found in this book.
Not a treatise on probability or a textbook, but his view of all things randomness - its (mis)understanding, and its consequences: in a mix of philosophy, finance, various stories and blunt judgements.

All in a very personal and quirky, but extremely readable form. Thanks god, no editor put their hands on it!
Quite simply, I couldn't put it down till the last line.

As I wrote in a comment already, I actually believe Taleb's style of writing is totally captivating and pure wit & brilliance at times: perhaps not for everyone, so i'd put it down to a question of taste. Granted, there's more than a little narcissism permeating the book - but is it necessarily a bad thing?
Polemists do have a function, if there's substance in their contents and grace to their style.

Checking reviews here (not many lukewarm!), there's one more thing that seems left out: this book is fun! Personally, one of the best readings ever.



Overrated, 20 Sep 2008
This is surely one of the most overrated popular science books of recent years. Taleb has become a media darling (particularly in the business press) because few journalists there realise that little of what he writes is new or original. And the tone throughout is irritating and patronising. For a much better treatment of many of the same topics, by a humbler and more readable author, buy John Allen Paulos "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" (if it's still in print).

Not bad, but not impressive, 25 Aug 2008
If you nkow the basics of statistics, you'll find nothing new and amazing in this book. However it is a time passing reading and gives the opportunity to remind you of the things you normally attribute to ability and skill. Sometime we tend to overstimate people. I think it is well worth the money of a paperback. One star less for no new discovery and one star less because he considers himself the only one enlightened.

Excellent book, 15 Nov 2008
When I was a young man, I embarked on a degree in mechanical engineering. This was about 30 years ago. In the first year alone we had to study about eight different subjects.

These included fluid mechanics, drawing and design, solid body mechanics, electricity, mathematics, materials science, physics and thermodymamics.

I had passed three 'A' levels in chemistry, mathematics and physics while at school.

I remember that this book was easy to follow and helped me to pass my first year mathematics exam with very high marks and little effort. My nephew is now studying civil engineering and I recommended this book to him. He said that it had made all the difference.

This book uses a method of learning called programme learning in which each stage is carefully broken down. One practices a few examples in order to check one's understanding and then moves on to the next section.

Although the content in this book is somewhat stronger than 'A' level mathematics it is definitely a book for engineers and scientists who use mathematics as a tool. It hasn't got the rigorous and almost philosophical approach to the subject that one would encounter if studying the subject in its own right.

The applications are found in other subjects such as mechanics of machines, solid body mechanics and electricity. Although called engineering mathematics this book really contains the pure mathematics that engineering students need for studying other disciplines rather than applied mathematics. If you like to think in terms of pure and applied mathematics then some of the other subjects such as mechanics or electricity actually contain the applied mathematics.

Ever since using this book, I have always tried to find books using a similar approach when required to study other subjects e.g. accounting, computer studies, economics and languages.

It is surprising how few books use this excellent method as I think it would work well with other logical, numerical and scientific subjects such as accounting, economics, grammar, physics and ancient and modern languages. It certainly takes away a lot of the heavy lifting involved in learning a new subject.

Holds your hand, 04 Nov 2008
There are many positive reviews of this book and its earlier additions, for good reason. I've found this a book very useful reference for my MEng Electrical/Electronic Engineering degree.

In my opinion, the best thing about this book is that takes you through every step, beginning with a number line right the way through to the more tricky stuff. Before I started my degree I wasn't confident with maths and shaky on even the basics - now I'm about to finish my Masters degree and I feel like a maths pro! Mostly thanks to this book and its companion.

The only maths book you will ever need, 21 Feb 2008
I have been out of education for 10 years before I started my degree so I was very apprehensive about the maths. This book works wonders especially the DVD you get with it to help problem solve. This is such a well structured book with lots of worked examples.

A must have for Engineering students

Unrivalled; clear, concise and well written., 10 Aug 2007
This book is superb, I can only fault its size but the depth of coverage warrants such mammoth dimensions. The material covered within is done so in a structured fashion, ensuring the reader can actually grasp the material as appose to just learning the methodology. I have not had to use this book as a standalone revision tool but in conjunction with my maths notes, it is unbeatable. The exercise problems can get a bit tedious and some of the leaps in difficulty are inexplicable but a little extra searching and practice will iron out any reservations. If you are studying any engineering degree I would seriously recommend splashing the cash, you may not use it extensively at first but having it as a resource has been invaluable for me.

Got lost!, 16 Jul 2007
This is undoubtedly a good book but it put me to sleep at times as I could not see how all these calculations would be useful to me when I graduated. I assumed an Engineering Math book would have examples from Engineering cases but they were few and far between. I did find some other books that did this in the library.

This is a good book for learning by heart how to do these things but I think I remember about 20% of it now that the exam is over! I wanted to understand it not learn it by heart. :(

Stroud is massive! It has practically an entire intro to math book at the start which at best is good for a glance because, as an Engineer, my Math is OK. It is a huge big clunking book which broke my back carrying it but was useful none the less.



Outstanding Book, Outstanding Author, 13 Oct 2008
Although i may appear biased as i have been fortunate enough to have been lectured (stats lecture) by Andy Field I honestly beleive that this book is a MUST for all psychology students around the world who will be using SPSS at some point in their psychology careers! It is simple, witty, funny, and makes stats easy to understand. Brilliant book! =]

If you are a statistics-phobe...this is the book for you!, 26 Aug 2008
If you are needing to learn both SPSS and statistics at the same time and intimidated at all by the math, this is a great book to help take you through the quagmire of both the SPSS software, the principles of statistics and make sense of it all too! Andy Field has done an excellent job at taking much of the mystery out of how and why to use the various tests. The book is comprehensive but the analysis of my research and study is focussed primarily on correlation, t-tests and regression. There are chapters in the book I will probably never read as I cannot foresee ever needing to read them. But, the book is very useful for referencing particular areas and providing a tutorial as you are working.

I love the way Andy has created and inserted his characters throughout the book - as I can identify myself as a cross between Cramming Samantha and Brian Haemorrhage.

Because I found Andy's book and CD so useful, I have not done any comparisons with other books. So, far, it has provided everything I have needed.

If you thought statatistics is complicated, this is the book for you, 21 Jul 2008
I am a post doctoral civil engineering student. I have been struggling with advanced statistics for months...when the problem was I did not have a good grasp of basic concepts. This book solved it all in a matter of days.
After reading this book.. you will be able to understand all the other more "complicated book" that you need to use.
If what you are paying for is for someone to expain stat and SPSS to you, this is your book.
Galit

Excellent, 23 Jun 2008
This book was my saviour during my dissertation. A must for any psychology student about to tackle SPSS!

Makes statistics a bit more manageable, 21 Apr 2008
I did a research project in Psychology with only very basic knowledge of statistics. I always hated statistics and tried to avoid them as much as possible. I was recommended this book, and was so glad I bought it. The style is quite refreshing and engaging, filling you with confidence as you learn.

At times it is a bit over-detailed, and you have to sift through to get to what to what you need, however, this is a strength of the book. I've seen some other books which explain what you do, but not why. Leaarning how principles can be applied to various situations is far more beneficial, as it's rare that your data will be similar to the examples in a book. If you're willing to spend just a little bit of time with it, you will find that you have a good basic knowledge of statistics, able to tackle increasingly complex problems

Partial plagiarism of his central thesis?, 02 Nov 2008
Reading these reviews leads me immediately to the realisation that this work may possibly be little better than plagiarism. Siméon-Denis Poisson first examined the statistical modelling of low-probability events in 1838, within a much wider corpus of scientific research in pure and applied natural and social sciences. One immediate conclusion is that the probability of low-odds events occurring (where there is no impedement to frequent possible events) is much higher than normal binomial probability suggests. As this is the heart of Taleb's thesis, he's at best reinvented the wheel.
On the basis of his introduction, examining the work of Umberto Eco, I suspect he falls into a trap of his own pretentiousness, insofar as Professor Eco sometimes espouses hermetic doctrines in his fictional works established long before our days by the Vatican and other similar bodies. His is not the work of a freelance research student, but of an acolyte, affirmed by his other publications of a non-fictional character, displaying the formation of his mentation. It is not therefore appropriate to suggest that there is much of a serendipitous nature about his well-researched, yet doctrinally conformist, theses, and that disables Taleb's first shuffle.
I therefore conclude that as both foundations to his thesis, namely his starting point and the incremental progression thenceforward, appear to be weak, this may not arrive at any logically coherent conclusions at all. Those of a religious disposition might choose to develop that objection further, insofar as the inexplicable Poisson anomaly has sometimes been argued as a scientifically-rigourous case for a non-bounded ontological eidos (or in plain language, "there are more things in heaven and earth, Nicholas, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."), but each to his own: at the very least, he is not doing fresh research by a very long way, as this was very old hat in our market modelling in the 1980s.

Scintillating , 25 Oct 2008
One of the most intelligent pieces of writing I have come across in my reading career.

It opens up some many new ways of viewing life and its events. Delivered with a delightful touch of arrogance, sudden humour, and iconoclastic precision - the book unearths a paradigm which is so overarchingly pervasive yet consciously ignored by people.

The author's tribute to, and coverage of Benoit Mandelbrot, along with the pooh-poohing of the 'normal' model of reality is a salient highlight, and should not be missed by any serious empiricist.

The book is a black swan.

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition..., 21 Oct 2008
This book is a black swan because against all the odds it got published. It has one idea swollen unappealingly to almost 400 pages. It is full of stereotypes, rich in "imaginative" anecdotes and insufferably pompous. If you want to read about chance and probability then try Ian Stewart; for Chance and Necessity read Jacques Monod (1972).

most insightful book I've read in a long time, 18 Oct 2008
Yes, I understand the criticism that Mr Taleb is full of himself - undoubtedly it shows throughout the book.
However, the amount of insights he provides and the many different angles in which he looks at the problem hammers the point through our hard-wired brains, and in my case, provided a fundamental change to the way I think and approach problems.
Definitely, a must read book.

The Emperor has no clothes, 10 Oct 2008
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
A highly disappointing text from an erudite and capable author. The book is fallacious, misleading and mischievous. The abuse of simple statistical distributions alone warrants not taking it seriously. It is oversold by the blurb and does not do what it says on the cover. Extremely disappointing.

it got me interested in magic squares , 17 Nov 2008
this book admittedly is not laid out in an obviously systematic way but i m not sure that matters. it got me interested in some things that i thought were rather boring, and on the whole though i haven t read it all through yet it does seem to the makings of a very good read, though inevitably some of the puzzles will be very familiar.

the version that i have has an incorrect printing of the 3x3 "nearly magic" square on p66, the first of the two examples. the fix is fairly easy though and provides a nice additional problem for anyone interested!



Falls between two stools, 28 Oct 2008
For me this book is neither a "mathematical puzzle book" or an easy to read account of mathematical curiosities. It seems to be a haphazard melange of both and subsequently, due to their being no real effort to put individual puzzles/essays into easy categories, quite frankly a bit of a mess. Much of the stuff here has been done to death (the 4 colour map problem anyone?) but there is some new stuff here as well as some interesting and fun problems which justifies a 3 star review.

I just wish it had been better organised

fascinating, 22 Oct 2008
a well written and witty look at hundreds of mathematical puzzles, stories and jokes. I am a maths teacher and there is so much material here, it's amazing. I have already used a few of these with my classes and the puzzles have really caught their imagination. Highly recommended

although the solution to the problem on page 143 is wrong

Definately worth to read for those who believe in determinism., 15 Nov 2008
The book offers a better perception of randomness and its effect on our lives mostly using stock market examples. Easy to read for the non-expert in probability or statistics it offers a stochastic view on the world which we perceive to be much more deterministic than it is (mostly by confusing the effect with the results).
Although an engineer myself and not totally unaware of statistics or probability, I considered the representation of philosophical ideas through the prism of the book to be enjoyable and worth mentioning. I also found the supporting bibliographic references to be impressive for a book of this subject.
I can see why some of the people gave an unfavorable review to the book mostly with regard of his writing style (although it didn't bother me) but claims backed up with so many references can be easily confirmed if one needs to do so and can be judged for the essence of the meaning rather than the presentation which is of course important but subjective.

Nonsense, 31 Oct 2008
Avoid this like the plague. I foolishly bought it because I'd seen it mentioned several times in the press as somehow revealing something interesting about the current financial crisis and how the author Taleb had some kind of insight into the world of stock markets and beyond.

However, I now realise that most of the excitable reviews surroundng Fooled by Randomness have actually been Fooled by Hype. After all I realise that's why I bought it...

For those who haven't been initiated into the Cult of Taleb, he claims to have privileged information into the way the world really works in the same way other peddlars of reheated buzzwords like to claim. (See Malcolm Gladwell of Tipping Point for another one, although that's a much more enjoyable read.) So instead of a reasoned and logical argument we get a stream of bitty chapters summarising his musings on randomness, stock markets, and, you know, life its-very-self.

The central thesis seems to be (now brace yourself for this revelation): `you can't predict the future'. Whilst technically correct, I'm not really sure we need 300 pages going on and on about it. I think most of the world realises you can't predict the future of the stock markets - or indeed anything much, if you want to be literal about it.

If you really want to muse about the unpredictablilty of stock markets, then watch Aronofsy's, `Pi', which is in a totally different class - given that's it's a quite a good film.

The other big problem with the book is that he's got the world's largest, most irritating, overblown self regard for his own intelligence. His other main theme is: `if you disagree with me, you're an idiot and I will ignore and laugh at you.' Great. What a charmer.

I think the words I'm searching for here are: `he's pompous man who made a few million on the stock market and - contrary to his own `thesis' - seems to think that fact alone justifies his own inflated opinion of himself.

Avoid.

a tour de force of intellectual stimulation, 13 Oct 2008
What's in the title is the best summary of what I found in this book.
Not a treatise on probability or a textbook, but his view of all things randomness - its (mis)understanding, and its consequences: in a mix of philosophy, finance, various stories and blunt judgements.

All in a very personal and quirky, but extremely readable form. Thanks god, no editor put their hands on it!
Quite simply, I couldn't put it down till the last line.

As I wrote in a comment already, I actually believe Taleb's style of writing is totally captivating and pure wit & brilliance at times: perhaps not for everyone, so i'd put it down to a question of taste. Granted, there's more than a little narcissism permeating the book - but is it necessarily a bad thing?
Polemists do have a function, if there's substance in their contents and grace to their style.

Checking reviews here (not many lukewarm!), there's one more thing that seems left out: this book is fun! Personally, one of the best readings ever.



Overrated, 20 Sep 2008
This is surely one of the most overrated popular science books of recent years. Taleb has become a media darling (particularly in the business press) because few journalists there realise that little of what he writes is new or original. And the tone throughout is irritating and patronising. For a much better treatment of many of the same topics, by a humbler and more readable author, buy John Allen Paulos "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" (if it's still in print).

Not bad, but not impressive, 25 Aug 2008
If you nkow the basics of statistics, you'll find nothing new and amazing in this book. However it is a time passing reading and gives the opportunity to remind you of the things you normally attribute to ability and skill. Sometime we tend to overstimate people. I think it is well worth the money of a paperback. One star less for no new discovery and one star less because he considers himself the only one enlightened.

Excellent book, 15 Nov 2008
When I was a young man, I embarked on a degree in mechanical engineering. This was about 30 years ago. In the first year alone we had to study about eight different subjects.

These included fluid mechanics, drawing and design, solid body mechanics, electricity, mathematics, materials science, physics and thermodymamics.

I had passed three 'A' levels in chemistry, mathematics and physics while at school.

I remember that this book was easy to follow and helped me to pass my first year mathematics exam with very high marks and little effort. My nephew is now studying civil engineering and I recommended this book to him. He said that it had made all the difference.

This book uses a method of learning called programme learning in which each stage is carefully broken down. One practices a few examples in order to check one's understanding and then moves on to the next section.

Although the content in this book is somewhat stronger than 'A' level mathematics it is definitely a book for engineers and scientists who use mathematics as a tool. It hasn't got the rigorous and almost philosophical approach to the subject that one would encounter if studying the subject in its own right.

The applications are found in other subjects such as mechanics of machines, solid body mechanics and electricity. Although called engineering mathematics this book really contains the pure mathematics that engineering students need for studying other disciplines rather than applied mathematics. If you like to think in terms of pure and applied mathematics then some of the other subjects such as mechanics or electricity actually contain the applied mathematics.

Ever since using this book, I have always tried to find books using a similar approach when required to study other subjects e.g. accounting, computer studies, economics and languages.

It is surprising how few books use this excellent method as I think it would work well with other logical, numerical and scientific subjects such as accounting, economics, grammar, physics and ancient and modern languages. It certainly takes away a lot of the heavy lifting involved in learning a new subject.

Holds your hand, 04 Nov 2008
There are many positive reviews of this book and its earlier additions, for good reason. I've found this a book very useful reference for my MEng Electrical/Electronic Engineering degree.

In my opinion, the best thing about this book is that takes you through every step, beginning with a number line right the way through to the more tricky stuff. Before I started my degree I wasn't confident with maths and shaky on even the basics - now I'm about to finish my Masters degree and I feel like a maths pro! Mostly thanks to this book and its companion.

The only maths book you will ever need, 21 Feb 2008
I have been out of education for 10 years before I started my degree so I was very apprehensive about the maths. This book works wonders especially the DVD you get with it to help problem solve. This is such a well structured book with lots of worked examples.

A must have for Engineering students

Unrivalled; clear, concise and well written., 10 Aug 2007
This book is superb, I can only fault its size but the depth of coverage warrants such mammoth dimensions. The material covered within is done so in a structured fashion, ensuring the reader can actually grasp the material as appose to just learning the methodology. I have not had to use this book as a standalone revision tool but in conjunction with my maths notes, it is unbeatable. The exercise problems can get a bit tedious and some of the leaps in difficulty are inexplicable but a little extra searching and practice will iron out any reservations. If you are studying any engineering degree I would seriously recommend splashing the cash, you may not use it extensively at first but having it as a resource has been invaluable for me.

Got lost!, 16 Jul 2007
This is undoubtedly a good book but it put me to sleep at times as I could not see how all these calculations would be useful to me when I graduated. I assumed an Engineering Math book would have examples from Engineering cases but they were few and far between. I did find some other books that did this in the library.

This is a good book for learning by heart how to do these things but I think I remember about 20% of it now that the exam is over! I wanted to understand it not learn it by heart. :(

Stroud is massive! It has practically an entire intro to math book at the start which at best is good for a glance because, as an Engineer, my Math is OK. It is a huge big clunking book which broke my back carrying it but was useful none the less.



Outstanding Book, Outstanding Author, 13 Oct 2008
Although i may appear biased as i have been fortunate enough to have been lectured (stats lecture) by Andy Field I honestly beleive that this book is a MUST for all psychology students around the world who will be using SPSS at some point in their psychology careers! It is simple, witty, funny, and makes stats easy to understand. Brilliant book! =]

If you are a statistics-phobe...this is the book for you!, 26 Aug 2008
If you are needing to learn both SPSS and statistics at the same time and intimidated at all by the math, this is a great book to help take you through the quagmire of both the SPSS software, the principles of statistics and make sense of it all too! Andy Field has done an excellent job at taking much of the mystery out of how and why to use the various tests. The book is comprehensive but the analysis of my research and study is focussed primarily on correlation, t-tests and regression. There are chapters in the book I will probably never read as I cannot foresee ever needing to read them. But, the book is very useful for referencing particular areas and providing a tutorial as you are working.

I love the way Andy has created and inserted his characters throughout the book - as I can identify myself as a cross between Cramming Samantha and Brian Haemorrhage.

Because I found Andy's book and CD so useful, I have not done any comparisons with other books. So, far, it has provided everything I have needed.

If you thought statatistics is complicated, this is the book for you, 21 Jul 2008
I am a post doctoral civil engineering student. I have been struggling with advanced statistics for months...when the problem was I did not have a good grasp of basic concepts. This book solved it all in a matter of days.
After reading this book.. you will be able to understand all the other more "complicated book" that you need to use.
If what you are paying for is for someone to expain stat and SPSS to you, this is your book.
Galit

Excellent, 23 Jun 2008
This book was my saviour during my dissertation. A must for any psychology student about to tackle SPSS!

Makes statistics a bit more manageable, 21 Apr 2008
I did a research project in Psychology with only very basic knowledge of statistics. I always hated statistics and tried to avoid them as much as possible. I was recommended this book, and was so glad I bought it. The style is quite refreshing and engaging, filling you with confidence as you learn.

At times it is a bit over-detailed, and you have to sift through to get to what to what you need, however, this is a strength of the book. I've seen some other books which explain what you do, but not why. Leaarning how principles can be applied to various situations is far more beneficial, as it's rare that your data will be similar to the examples in a book. If you're willing to spend just a little bit of time with it, you will find that you have a good basic knowledge of statistics, able to tackle increasingly complex problems

An essential buy, 09 Nov 2007
Before buying this book I attempted the online practice test (and failed!) after going through the book it highlighted areas I needed to work on. The book also provides example questions which are very similar to the test questions. I would not have passed first time without this book.

Extremely useful and accessible book., 23 Apr 2004
I've just passed all three of the QTS skills tests today, and I know Iwould not have been able to do the numeracy test without this little book. It has all you need to know, and is very accessible. The book explainsthe basics you will need to know, providing many examples and practicequestions. Highly recommended for any trainee teacher as the book willreinforce your existing skills and help you to gain new ones, giving youthe confidence to take, and pass, the QTS skills tests.

All you need to pass, 08 Jan 2004
A good no nonsense book. Simply follow the instructions and you should pass the tests. The practice questions are realistic and even similar to the real thing. Good luck with the teacher training.

Very helpful, 17 Dec 2003
This is a very helpful guide. The questions in it are representitive of the ones you get in the real test, so you can really prepare yourself. The answers section is also good. Each answer has a 'key point' which shows you how to arrive at the answer if you got it wrong. This really does allow you to learn from your mistakes.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to brush up their skills for the test.

Very helpful, 17 Dec 2003
This is a very helpful guide. The questions in it are very representitive of the ones you get in the real test, so you can really prepare yourself. The answers section is also good. Each answer has a 'key point' which shows you how to arrive at the answer if you got it wrong. This really does allow you to learn from your mistakes.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to brush up their skills for the test.

When Cambridge mathematician Andrew Wiles announced a solution for Fermat's last theorem in 1993, it electrified the world of mathematics. After a flaw was discovered in the proof, Wiles had to work for another year--he had already laboured in solitude for seven years--to establish that he had solved the 350-year-old problem. Simon Singh's book is a lively, comprehensible explanation of Wiles's work and of the colourful history that has build up around Fermat's last theorem over the years. The book contains some problems that offer a taste for the maths, but it also includes limericks to give a feeling for the quirkier side of mathematicians.

Partial plagiarism of his central thesis?, 02 Nov 2008
Reading these reviews leads me immediately to the realisation that this work may possibly be little better than plagiarism. Siméon-Denis Poisson first examined the statistical modelling of low-probability events in 1838, within a much wider corpus of scientific research in pure and applied natural and social sciences. One immediate conclusion is that the probability of low-odds events occurring (where there is no impedement to frequent possible events) is much higher than normal binomial probability suggests. As this is the heart of Taleb's thesis, he's at best reinvented the wheel.
On the basis of his introduction, examining the work of Umberto Eco, I suspect he falls into a trap of his own pretentiousness, insofar as Professor Eco sometimes espouses hermetic doctrines in his fictional works established long before our days by the Vatican and other similar bodies. His is not the work of a freelance research student, but of an acolyte, affirmed by his other publications of a non-fictional character, displaying the formation of his mentation. It is not therefore appropriate to suggest that there is much of a serendipitous nature about his well-researched, yet doctrinally conformist, theses, and that disables Taleb's first shuffle.
I therefore conclude that as both foundations to his thesis, namely his starting point and the incremental progression thenceforward, appear to be weak, this may not arrive at any logically coherent conclusions at all. Those of a religious disposition might choose to develop that objection further, insofar as the inexplicable Poisson anomaly has sometimes been argued as a scientifically-rigourous case for a non-bounded ontological eidos (or in plain language, "there are more things in heaven and earth, Nicholas, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."), but each to his own: at the very least, he is not doing fresh research by a very long way, as this was very old hat in our market modelling in the 1980s.

Scintillating , 25 Oct 2008
One of the most intelligent pieces of writing I have come across in my reading career.

It opens up some many new ways of viewing life and its events. Delivered with a delightful touch of arrogance, sudden humour, and iconoclastic precision - the book unearths a paradigm which is so overarchingly pervasive yet consciously ignored by people.

The author's tribute to, and coverage of Benoit Mandelbrot, along with the pooh-poohing of the 'normal' model of reality is a salient highlight, and should not be missed by any serious empiricist.

The book is a black swan.

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition..., 21 Oct 2008
This book is a black swan because against all the odds it got published. It has one idea swollen unappealingly to almost 400 pages. It is full of stereotypes, rich in "imaginative" anecdotes and insufferably pompous. If you want to read about chance and probability then try Ian Stewart; for Chance and Necessity read Jacques Monod (1972).

most insightful book I've read in a long time, 18 Oct 2008
Yes, I understand the criticism that Mr Taleb is full of himself - undoubtedly it shows throughout the book.
However, the amount of insights he provides and the many different angles in which he looks at the problem hammers the point through our hard-wired brains, and in my case, provided a fundamental change to the way I think and approach problems.
Definitely, a must read book.

The Emperor has no clothes, 10 Oct 2008
The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
A highly disappointing text from an erudite and capable author. The book is fallacious, misleading and mischievous. The abuse of simple statistical distributions alone warrants not taking it seriously. It is oversold by the blurb and does not do what it says on the cover. Extremely disappointing.

it got me interested in magic squares , 17 Nov 2008
this book admittedly is not laid out in an obviously systematic way but i m not sure that matters. it got me interested in some things that i thought were rather boring, and on the whole though i haven t read it all through yet it does seem to the makings of a very good read, though inevitably some of the puzzles will be very familiar.

the version that i have has an incorrect printing of the 3x3 "nearly magic" square on p66, the first of the two examples. the fix is fairly easy though and provides a nice additional problem for anyone interested!



Falls between two stools, 28 Oct 2008
For me this book is neither a "mathematical puzzle book" or an easy to read account of mathematical curiosities. It seems to be a haphazard melange of both and subsequently, due to their being no real effort to put individual puzzles/essays into easy categories, quite frankly a bit of a mess. Much of the stuff here has been done to death (the 4 colour map problem anyone?) but there is some new stuff here as well as some interesting and fun problems which justifies a 3 star review.

I just wish it had been better organised

fascinating, 22 Oct 2008
a well written and witty look at hundreds of mathematical puzzles, stories and jokes. I am a maths teacher and there is so much material here, it's amazing. I have already used a few of these with my classes and the puzzles have really caught their imagination. Highly recommended

although the solution to the problem on page 143 is wrong

Definately worth to read for those who believe in determinism., 15 Nov 2008
The book offers a better perception of randomness and its effect on our lives mostly using stock market examples. Easy to read for the non-expert in probability or statistics it offers a stochastic view on the world which we perceive to be much more deterministic than it is (mostly by confusing the effect with the results).
Although an engineer myself and not totally unaware of statistics or probability, I considered the representation of philosophical ideas through the prism of the book to be enjoyable and worth mentioning. I also found the supporting bibliographic references to be impressive for a book of this subject.
I can see why some of the people gave an unfavorable review to the book mostly with regard of his writing style (although it didn't bother me) but claims backed up with so many references can be easily confirmed if one needs to do so and can be judged for the essence of the meaning rather than the presentation which is of course important but subjective.

Nonsense, 31 Oct 2008
Avoid this like the plague. I foolishly bought it because I'd seen it mentioned several times in the press as somehow revealing something interesting about the current financial crisis and how the author Taleb had some kind of insight into the world of stock markets and beyond.

However, I now realise that most of the excitable reviews surroundng Fooled by Randomness have actually been Fooled by Hype. After all I realise that's why I bought it...

For those who haven't been initiated into the Cult of Taleb, he claims to have privileged information into the way the world really works in the same way other peddlars of reheated buzzwords like to claim. (See Malcolm Gladwell of Tipping Point for another one, although that's a much more enjoyable read.) So instead of a reasoned and logical argument we get a stream of bitty chapters summarising his musings on randomness, stock markets, and, you know, life its-very-self.

The central thesis seems to be (now brace yourself for this revelation): `you can't predict the future'. Whilst technically correct, I'm not really sure we need 300 pages going on and on about it. I think most of the world realises you can't predict the future of the stock markets - or indeed anything much, if you want to be literal about it.

If you really want to muse about the unpredictablilty of stock markets, then watch Aronofsy's, `Pi', which is in a totally different class - given that's it's a quite a good film.

The other big problem with the book is that he's got the world's largest, most irritating, overblown self regard for his own intelligence. His other main theme is: `if you disagree with me, you're an idiot and I will ignore and laugh at you.' Great. What a charmer.

I think the words I'm searching for here are: `he's pompous man who made a few million on the stock market and - contrary to his own `thesis' - seems to think that fact alone justifies his own inflated opinion of himself.

Avoid.

a tour de force of intellectual stimulation, 13 Oct 2008
What's in the title is the best summary of what I found in this book.
Not a treatise on probability or a textbook, but his view of all things randomness - its (mis)understanding, and its consequences: in a mix of philosophy, finance, various stories and blunt judgements.

All in a very personal and quirky, but extremely readable form. Thanks god, no editor put their hands on it!
Quite simply, I couldn't put it down till the last line.

As I wrote in a comment already, I actually believe Taleb's style of writing is totally captivating and pure wit & brilliance at times: perhaps not for everyone, so i'd put it down to a question of taste. Granted, there's more than a little narcissism permeating the book - but is it necessarily a bad thing?
Polemists do have a function, if there's substance in their contents and grace to their style.

Checking reviews here (not many lukewarm!), there's one more thing that seems left out: this book is fun! Personally, one of the best readings ever.



Overrated, 20 Sep 2008
This is surely one of the most overrated popular science books of recent years. Taleb has become a media darling (particularly in the business press) because few journalists there realise that little of what he writes is new or original. And the tone throughout is irritating and patronising. For a much better treatment of many of the same topics, by a humbler and more readable author, buy John Allen Paulos "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" (if it's still in print).

Not bad, but not impressive, 25 Aug 2008
If you nkow the basics of statistics, you'll find nothing new and amazing in this book. However it is a time passing reading and gives the opportunity to remind you of the things you normally attribute to ability and skill. Sometime we tend to overstimate people. I think it is well worth the money of a paperback. One star less for no new discovery and one star less because he considers himself the only one enlightened.

Excellent book, 15 Nov 2008
When I was a young man, I embarked on a degree in mechanical engineering. This was about 30 years ago. In the first year alone we had to study about eight different subjects.

These included fluid mechanics, drawing and design, solid body mechanics, electricity, mathematics, materials science, physics and thermodymamics.

I had passed three 'A' levels in chemistry, mathematics and physics while at school.

I remember that this book was easy to follow and helped me to pass my first year mathematics exam with very high marks and little effort. My nephew is now studying civil engineering and I recommended this book to him. He said that it had made all the difference.

This book uses a method of learning called programme learning in which each stage is carefully broken down. One practices a few examples in order to check one's understanding and then moves on to the next section.

Although the content in this book is somewhat stronger than 'A' level mathematics it is definitely a book for engineers and scientists who use mathematics as a tool. It hasn't got the rigorous and almost philosophical approach to the subject that one would encounter if studying the subject in its own right.

The applications are found in other subjects such as mechanics of machines, solid body mechanics and electricity. Although called engineering mathematics this book really contains the pure mathematics that engineering students need for studying other disciplines rather than applied mathematics. If you like to think in terms of pure and applied mathematics then some of the other subjects such as mechanics or electricity actually contain the applied mathematics.

Ever since using this book, I have always tried to find books using a similar approach when required to study other subjects e.g. accounting, computer studies, economics and languages.

It is surprising how few books use this excellent method as I think it would work well with other logical, numerical and scientific subjects such as accounting, economics, grammar, physics and ancient and modern languages. It certainly takes away a lot of the heavy lifting involved in learning a new subject.

Holds your hand, 04 Nov 2008
There are many positive reviews of this book and its earlier additions, for good reason. I've found this a book very useful reference for my MEng Electrical/Electronic Engineering degree.

In my opinion, the best thing about this book is that takes you through every step, beginning with a number line right the way through to the more tricky stuff. Before I started my degree I wasn't confident with maths and shaky on even the basics - now I'm about to finish my Masters degree and I feel like a maths pro! Mostly thanks to this book and its companion.

The only maths book you will ever need, 21 Feb 2008
I have been out of education for 10 years before I started my degree so I was very apprehensive about the maths. This book works wonders especially the DVD you get with it to help problem solve. This is such a well structured book with lots of worked examples.

A must have for Engineering students

Unrivalled; clear, concise and well written., 10 Aug 2007
This book is superb, I can only fault its size but the depth of coverage warrants such mammoth dimensions. The material covered within is done so in a structured fashion, ensuring the reader can actually grasp the material as appose to just learning the methodology. I have not had to use this book as a standalone revision tool but in conjunction with my maths notes, it is unbeatable. The exercise problems can get a bit tedious and some of the leaps in difficulty are inexplicable but a little extra searching and practice will iron out any reservations. If you are studying any engineering degree I would seriously recommend splashing the cash, you may not use it extensively at first but having it as a resource has been invaluable for me.

Got lost!, 16 Jul 2007
This is undoubtedly a good book but it put me to sleep at times as I could not see how all these calculations would be useful to me when I graduated. I assumed an Engineering Math book would have examples from Engineering cases but they were few and far between. I did find some other books that did this in the library.

This is a good book for learning by heart how to do these things but I think I remember about 20% of it now that the exam is over! I wanted to understand it not learn it by heart. :(

Stroud is massive! It has practically an entire intro to math book at the start which at best is good for a glance because, as an Engineer, my Math is OK. It is a huge big clunking book which broke my back carrying it but was useful none the less.



Outstanding Book, Outstanding Author, 13 Oct 2008
Although i may appear biased as i have been fortunate enough to have been lectured (stats lecture) by Andy Field I honestly beleive that this book is a MUST for all psychology students around the world who will be using SPSS at some point in their psychology careers! It is simple, witty, funny, and makes stats easy to understand. Brilliant book! =]

If you are a statistics-phobe...this is the book for you!, 26 Aug 2008
If you are needing to learn both SPSS and statistics at the same time and intimidated at all by the math, this is a great book to help take you through the quagmire of both the SPSS software, the principles of statistics and make sense of it all too! Andy Field has done an excellent job at taking much of the mystery out of how and why to use the various tests. The book is comprehensive but the analysis of my research and study is focussed primarily on correlation, t-tests and regression. There are chapters in the book I will probably never read as I cannot foresee ever needing to read them. But, the book is very useful for referencing particular areas and providing a tutorial as you are working.

I love the way Andy has created and inserted his characters throughout the book - as I can identify myself as a cross between Cramming Samantha and Brian Haemorrhage.

Because I found Andy's book and CD so useful, I have not done any comparisons with other books. So, far, it has provided everything I have needed.

If you thought statatistics is complicated, this is the book for you, 21 Jul 2008
I am a post doctoral civil engineering student. I have been struggling with advanced statistics for months...when the problem was I did not have a good grasp of basic concepts. This book solved it all in a matter of days.
After reading this book.. you will be able to understand all the other more "complicated book" that you need to use.
If what you are paying for is for someone to expain stat and SPSS to you, this is your book.
Galit

Excellent, 23 Jun 2008
This book was my saviour during my dissertation. A must for any psychology student about to tackle SPSS!

Makes statistics a bit more manageable, 21 Apr 2008
I did a research project in Psychology with only very basic knowledge of statistics. I always hated statistics and tried to avoid them as much as possible. I was recommended this book, and was so glad I bought it. The style is quite refreshing and engaging, filling you with confidence as you learn.

At times it is a bit over-detailed, and you have to sift through to get to what to what you need, however, this is a strength of the book. I've seen some other books which explain what you do, but not why. Leaarning how principles can be applied to various situations is far more beneficial, as it's rare that your data will be similar to the examples in a book. If you're willing to spend just a little bit of time with it, you will find that you have a good basic knowledge of statistics, able to tackle increasingly complex problems

An essential buy, 09 Nov 2007
Before buying this book I attempted the online practice test (and failed!) after going through the book it highlighted areas I needed to work on. The book also provides example questions which are very similar to the test questions. I would not have passed first time without this book.

Extremely useful and accessible book., 23 Apr 2004
I've just passed all three of the QTS skills tests today, and I know Iwould not have been able to do the numeracy test without this little book. It has all you need to know, and is very accessible. The book explainsthe basics you will need to know, providing many examples and practicequestions. Highly recommended for any trainee teacher as the book willreinforce your existing skills and help you to gain new ones, giving youthe confidence to take, and pass, the QTS skills tests.

All you need to pass, 08 Jan 2004
A good no nonsense book. Simply follow the instructions and you should pass the tests. The practice questions are realistic and even similar to the real thing. Good luck with the teacher training.

Very helpful, 17 Dec 2003
This is a very helpful guide. The questions in it are representitive of the ones you get in th