Probabilities and statistics dominate our lives, yet few of us really understand them; here’s an attempt to shed some light. Bennett (Mathematics/Jersey City State Coll.) uses practical examples to convey the history and nature of her subject. Ancient societies used dice or bones not only for gambling but to decide matters of life and death—on the theory that a random mechanism made the divine will known, without human bias. Old Testament Hebrews drew lots to divide an inheritance—hence the term “lot” for a parcel of land. The I Ching is a more elaborate method of using randomizers (tossed coins or counted yarrow stalks) to solicit divine guidance. A more scientific approach to probability began with the Renaissance; Galileo’s writings about dice show awareness of the concept of equal probability. Bennett spends some time demonstrating the need for careful enumeration of all the possible outcomes in estimating probability. By the 18th century, the concept of random error led to scientists adopting the mean of a series of measurements as the best approach to accuracy. Laplace was the first to formulate the famous bell curve to describe the likely distribution of random events, a model rapidly adopted throughout the sciences. As the science of statistics matured, random numbers were generated as a tool for analyzing the randomness of natural phenomena. Eventually these investigations, often based on “randomly” chosen data such as the heights of convicts, yielded such statistical tools as the chi-square relationship, which often showed that the data were not as random as originally believed. It was not until the 20th century that the notion that yet undiscovered laws would allow exact prediction of all natural phenomena was abandoned by science and true randomness embraced—most strikingly in the form of quantum mechanics and chaos theory. A clear and detailed examination of the role of pure chance, with fascinating historical asides. (32 illustrations, not seen)
Pub Date: May 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-674-10745-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Harvard Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1998
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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