200% of Nothing: An Eye Opening Tour Through the Twists and Turns of Math Abuse and Innumeracy | 
 enlarge | Author: A. K. Dewdney
Publisher: Wiley
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
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Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 184874
Media: Paperback
Pages: 192
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 6 x 0.6
ISBN: 0471145742
Dewey Decimal Number: 519
EAN: 9780471145745
Publication Date: February 9, 1996
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Amazon.com Review
If you know the difference between lies, damned lies, and statistics, give a copy of A.K. Dewdney's 200% of Nothing to your friends to get them up to speed. If you don't know the difference, consider this funny, engaging little book a crash course in numeracy, the mathematical equivalent of literacy. Opening with two chapters on the importance of this dying talent, Dewdney (formerly Scientific American's "Mathematical Recreations" writer) spooks the reader with real examples of government agencies, media outlets, and--of course--car salesmen deceiving their audiences with beguiling mathematical sleights of hand. It's all too easy for us to think we're immune to such tactics until we actually see them laid out for us in prose as clear and disarming as Dewdney's. From these tactics he delves more deeply into practical examples of particular problems that often catch us unaware. Gambling, advertisements using bizarre-but-normal-looking charts, and bad science all come in for thorough examinations, and the reader is amazed and occasionally angered at the shamelessness of the purveyors of misleading statistics. The book closes with two chapters designed to make readers "mathematically streetwise," with exercises to help you grasp ratios, very large and small numbers, and probabilities more intuitively. 200% of Nothing inspires learning and makes it interesting--if you want to see through the fog of numbers surrounding politicians and advertisements, there's no better place to start. --Rob Lightner
Product Description
Acclaim for "In today's world, 'innumeracy' is an even greater danger than illiteracy, and is perhaps even more common. Advertisers and politicians exploit it; intellectuals (self-styled) even flaunt it. I hope that this wise and witty book will provide cures where they are possible, and warnings where they are necessary.
"It's also a lot of fun. I can guarantee that 100%."--Arthur C. Clarke
"Dewdney retells with charm and wit magnificent morsels of mathematical mayhem discovered by his army of volunteer 'abuse detectives.' From 'sample trashing' to 'numerical terrorism,' from 'percentage pumping' to 'dimensional dementia,' 200% of Nothing plumbs the depths of innumeracy in daily life and reveals what ordinary people can do about it.
A rich, readable, instructive, and persuasive book."--Lynn Arthur Steen, Professor of Mathematics, St. Olaf College
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Confirms what I've always suspected. January 4, 1998
mudbug@cmq.com (Southern USA)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
The way you feel when you see those 1-900-pshycic info-mercials (how can ANYONE be SO stupid?). Well, after reading this book, I can summize why the people who DON'T call DON'T call... Certainly an adequate and explainative adaptation to modern, everyday reasoning; as well as how it realistically corresponds to the average "Joe". Put new batteries in your scientific calculator, and have a ball comparing notes! At times, somewhat a little insulting to your intelligence, while at other times opens your eyes to simple little things that you've seen 100 times, put into a true but different perspective. Bottom line...I'm glad that I bought it, and will most assuredly reference it from time to time now that its on my bookshelf.
200% of Nothing....by A.K. Dewdney April 27, 2000
Tom Barnhart (Lima, OH, USA)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
Truly an eye-opening book, pointing out many often overlooked flaws and abuses in the use of mathematics to sell a product or advance a political agenda. Should be required reading in any consumer education course.
Can You Get An Edge On Winning The Lottery January 22, 1999
Robert Derenthal (California United States)
14 out of 17 found this review helpful
Certainly this country of ours needs to be concerned about its illiteracy problem. It perhaps should be even more concerned about innumeracy, the mathematical equivalent of illiteracy. While many of us would be insulted if someone questioned our ability to comprehend the written word, we quite easily laugh at being idiots when mathematics is involved.As a result we think nothing of an ad promising that a new light bulb will save 200% on energy. If that statement sounds OK to you, then you better read this book or one like it. Here's a slim tome that addresses some of the more egregious insults to the field of mathematics and statistics. If you are totally innumerate it will raise your numbers IQ a few points. It's an easy book to read; too easy, as a matter of fact, and that's a shame. The author provides very little theory, many, sometimes useless, anecdotes, and some soap box preaching about mathematics being the premiere science. He does touch on the mathematics of probablity, a subject that most people should know more about. Anyone with a basic knowledge of probability quickly realizes that coincidences don't just happen, they MUST happen. That fact throws a wrench into a lot of "sciences of the paranormal." And remember, from a statistical standpoint your chance of winning the big lottery is no different whether you buy a ticket or don't buy it. Is there a way to improve your chances for winning big? Yes. Pick numbers that no one else picks like, 1,2,3,4,5,6. That way you run less of a chance of getting tied with someone. There are other books out there that give you better information, but this one is OK if you want to learn a little applied math without having to turn your brain on at all.
Good subject, not so good performance November 18, 2008
Norman Strojny (western desert of Utah)
"200% of Nothing" by A.K, Dewdney has a very good subject, but the author needs a better editor or a partner to bring the writing into the range of decent.
I wish the book were more interesting. But, the presentation does not live up to the subject matter. Too bad! We need more light pouring into some of these dark corners of our world.
While the book is OK, it could be better.
Stick to the subject, leave the soapbox alone April 24, 2001
1 out of 9 found this review helpful
A very amusing fast read. Having worked with the media and the general public regarding statistics, I found myself nodding and smiling often at the examples presented. However, the last chapter really detracted from the overall flow of the book. The tone changes. Dewdney gets on a soapbox, telling everyone how the world can't live without more mathmaticians. Puh-lease!
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