Millions, billions, zillions : defending yourself in a world of too many numbers / Brian W. Kernighan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Kernighan, Brian, Author.

Series:

Gale eBooks

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mathematics--Popular works.

Mathematics.

Mathematics in mass media--Popular works.

Mathematics in mass media.

Critical thinking--Popular works.

Critical thinking.

Statistics--Evaluation--Popular works.

Statistics.

Statistics--Methodology--Popular works.

Big data--Popular works.

Big data.

Million (The number)--Popular works.

Million (The number).

Billion (The number)--Popular works.

Billion (The number).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xiv, 160 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Princeton, New Jersey : Princeton University Press, [2018]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

An essential guide to recognizing bogus numbers and misleading dataNumbers are often intimidating, confusing, and even deliberately deceptive-especially when they are 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.Giving you the simple tools you need to avoid being fooled by dubious numbers, Millions, Billions, Zillions is an essential survival guide for a world drowning in big-and often bad-data.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Chapter 2: Millions, Billions, Zillions

Chapter 3: Big Numbers

Chapter 4: Mega, Giga, Tera, and Beyond

Chapter 5: Units

Chapter 6: Dimensionality

Chapter 7: Milestones

Chapter 8: Specious Precision

Chapter 9: Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics

Chapter 10: Graphical Trickery

Chapter 11: Bias

Chapter 12: Arithmetic

Chapter 13: Estimation

Chapter 14: Self Defense

Further Reading

Figure Credits

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 06. Apr 2020)

ISBN:

9780691190136

0691190135

OCLC:

1049974735