This journey through randomness, prediction, and chaos investigates developmental biology, weather prediction, mathematics, economics, and games of chance, showing why some future prediction systems work better than others

Reviews

The author of Paradigms Lost and Alternative Realities shakesthe reputation of mathematics as the irresistible force of scientificexploration in this lively series of lectures on everyday systems(like weather forecasting and the stock market) that refuse to yieldto predictability. Casti's casual, wide-ranging command of numbertheory makes his working metaphors, such as a "Chocolate Cake Machine"analogy for algorithms, seem patronizingly simple, but this friendlytouch ensures that even the casual science reader may peek over theedge of the mathematic reality that today's theorists live on. Thefive frontiers of prediction covered here represent a spectrum ofsciences from sociobiology to the nature of computationitself. Ironically, several of Casti's cases are so well-developedthat even his concise, simplified expositions obscure the book's realtheme: we are approaching the limits of reliability inscience. Readers of Martin Gardner's recreational mathtitles--Mathematical Carnival etc.--will recognize the spell ofnumbers that holds this collection together. Illustrations not seen byPW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Casti earned much notice for his Paradigms Lost: Images of Man in the Mirror of Science ( LJ 6/15/89), and this new book is in something of the same mold. Here, he assesses current methods of forecasting and future prediction for the weather, evolutionary biology, the stock market, the outbreak of war, and mathematical proofs. His point is that an objective evaluation of the methods used to predict events should indicate how likely such predictions are to come true. His historical research is often interesting, and his knowledge of arcana can be encyclopedic. He can also lose even the most earnest reader in a thicket of formulae and statistical analysis, making this a difficult book to read, understand, and absorb. For informed laypersons or specialists.
-Mark L. Shelton, Athens, Ohio
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

American First Editions, Art Books, and more. Most of our older stock has been packed in storage for over twenty years.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Nilbog Books
ME, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

We're an exclusively online bookstore.

Email is the best way to reach us: nilbogbooks@gmail.com We'll respond to your email inquiry within 24 hours.

Most of our books are in storage, and will have to be retrieved before they can be shipped (or described/photographed if additional details are requested). While this may occasionally slow down responses, it also means these books aren't as manhandled as they might be in a physical store.

We carry mostly modern firsts, photography, art books, childr...

More Information

Shipping Terms

Orders will usually ship within 2 business days. Our prices are based around books the size of a novel, so they may need to be increased for larger books. We don't make any money on postage, but we can't afford to subsidize it, either.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	5 to 14 business days	2 to 6 business days
First item	US$ 4.50	US$ 10.10

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.