The Book of Odds: From Lightning Strikes to Love at First Sight, the Odds of Everyday Life

From the popular Book of Odds website, this stylish and accessible reference book offers a fascinating peek at the probabilities that govern every aspect of human life

Did you know that your odds of dying from drowning are higher than the odds of meeting your mate on a blind date? That the odds a child has seen Internet porn are the same as the odds a person is right-handed? That nearly one in three adults believes in UFOs and nearly one in six has reported seeing one?

Drawing from a rigorously researched trove of more than 400,000 statements of probability, based on the most accurate and current data available, The Book of Odds is a graphic reference source for stats on the everyday, the odd, and the outrageous—from sex and marriage, health and disease, beliefs and fears, to wealth, addiction, entertainment, and civic life. What emerges from this colorful and captivating volume is a rich portrait of who we are and how we live today.

Amram Shapiro is the founder and president of the Book of Odds. He is coauthor of Product Development, Success Through Product and Cycle-Time Excellence and has contributed to numerous journals including Research Technology Management and CFO magazine.

Louise Firth Campbell is the chief operating officer of the Book of Odds. She has more than twenty-five years' experience advising companies, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations on strategic business, technology, and marketing issues, as well as on public policy.

Rosalind Wright is the founding editor of the Book of Odds. She has published two novels: Rocking, which received an award from PEN International, and Veracruz, which received the top fiction prize from the Texas Institute of Letters.