Millions, Billions, Zillions: Defending Yourself in a World of Too Many Numbers

Description

An essential guide to recognizing bogus numbers and misleading data Numbers 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 n

Brian W. Kernighan is professor of computer science at Princeton University. His many books include Understanding the Digital World: What You Need to Know about Computers, the Internet, Privacy, and Security (Princeton). He lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

"Having a healthy skepticism toward numbers and giving readers the tools to think about math more logically is the purpose of this easily read, slight book. Brian W. Kernighan adroitly distills complex issues. His tone is more that of a mellow friend breaking down a concept that flummoxes you rather than an Ivy League professor expounding on the elegance of numbers."---Jacqueline Cutler, NJ.com "Numbers, graphs and statistics can often be misleading and misrepresented. In Millions, Billions, Zillions: Defending Yourself in a World of Too Many Numbers, Kernighan provides the reader with an entertaining and useful guide to avoid becoming a victim of number abuse."---Ben Rothke, RSA Conference "I can wholeheartedly recommend reading this book, because of the infectious way the author describes his interaction with numbers."---J. Herret, International Mathematical News "This is a must-read for anyone looking to cure their "number numbness""---Tibi Puiu, ZME Science