200% of Nothing: 09/15/06

I normally enjoy books like 200% of Nothing. The book claims to show the importance of being numerate but the examples used are simplistic, obvious and humorless. At least the book is a short and quick read, coming in shy of 200 pages.

There isn't much in terms of new examples with in 200% of Nothing. Anyone with even the minimum of interest will have heard of these examples and their solutions. A perfect example is the "Monty Hall" puzzle. Another chapter languishes over tossing coins. Coin toss odds are about the most basic of examples, twenty pages really don't need to be spent on the subject!

Here's my BookCrossing Review:

The book might be more interesting for less numerate readers. My husband and I have both read 200% of Nothing and agree that the examples are basic and the author's attitude towards his audience is rather condescending. A better book on the subject is How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff.