Once again, I think this was recommended from a YouTube video I watched. The author is a mathematician who is able to explain statistical analysis clearly. He introduces basic concepts about how numbers are used to interpret the world and builds on them to explain the many ways they are used and abused when presenting information. His intent is to provide understanding of the use of math in our complex world and how we can take control over it.
Some terminology / concepts he covers:
- average error rate
- expected value
- covariance
- logarithm
- algorithms
- engagement probabilities
Quotes:
"In the end 2 main factors separate professional gamblers from amateurs: 1) the ability to methodically stick to a plan for a long time, resisting temptation and impulsivity and 2) a gambling strategy that edges the odds enough to achieve a positive expected value."
"To insulate yourself from the risk posed by AI and automation, you want to diversify your skill set. That doesn't mean just learning more skills. It means learning more skills that are as different from each other as possible--skills with minimal covariance between them, so to speak."
"The Kelly strategy [even money bets] provides the optimal betting strategy in the sense that it maximizes the expected value of the logarithm of the winnings"
"if you don't want [a type of content] online, then don't engage [like, comment, share] with it. You too can shape your social media experience in whatever way you want."
Published: 2025 Read: March 2026 Genre: Non-fiction
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