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Millions, Billions, Zillions

By Kernighan, Brian W

Millions, Billions, Zillions

By Kernighan, Brian W

0 - Default Title
Description
Numbers are impressive, intimidating, confusing, and often deliberately deceptive, especially when they're really big. The media loves to report on millions, billions, and trillions, but frequently makes basic mistakes or presents such numbers in misleading ways. And misunderstanding numbers can have serious consequences, since they can deceive us in many of our most important decisions, including how to vote, what to buy, and whether to make a financial investment. In this short, accessible, enlightening, and entertaining book, leading computer scientist Brian Kernighan teaches anyone--even diehard math-phobes--how to demystify the numbers that assault us every day. With examples drawn from a rich variety of sources, including journalism, advertising, and politics, Kernighan demonstrates how numbers can mislead and misrepresent. In chapters covering big numbers, units, dimensions, and more, he lays bare everything from deceptive graphs to speciously precise numbers. And he shows how anyone--using a few basic ideas and lots of shortcuts--can easily learn to recognize common mistakes, determine whether numbers are credible, and make their own sensible estimates when needed.
Product details
Edition:
1
Number of Pages:
176
Release Date:
2018-11-06
Publication Date:
2018-11-06
Publisher:
Princeton University Press
Languages:
Original: English
ISBN10:
0691182779
ISBN13:
9780691182773
Weight:
255 g
Height:
120 cm
Width:
198 cm
Thickness:
22 cm
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