Customer Reviews

The Arithmetic of Life and Death

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This excellent book answers several questions that I have always wondered about - but never knew how to approach them. It also provideds support for issues I feel strongly about but did not understand why. It clarifies why some counter intuitive actions may be so effective. Finally it provides support to those of us working with young adults on how and why to take the proper long term actions. He hints at why rapidly finishing high school and college will provide much more income over the long run.

Math is really only a small building block in this book. No advanced math is required, just addition and averaging. The math is a tool - a simple effective one at that- and nothing more. The main focus is providing solutions to issues one feels strongly about but does not have a clue on how to attack them.

This book has also reminded me of a few ways I better improve myself. I stick to the speed limit and no longer tailgate!!!!!

I just wish Mr. Shaffner would write another book!!!!!

While books on arithmetic certainly aren't for everyone, I found this one to be interesting, and at times fascinating. My favorite chapter, and one that I plan to use at my daughter's school is on how 8th graders can get a job that pays $45/hour. "What kind of job is that," I'm sure you ask... The answer, of course, is "Stay in School". Since high school graduates on average make significantly more than dropouts, you can assign that difference an hourly rate for the hours that remain till graduation day. Sometimes interesting, sometimes fascinating, sometimes a bit of a stretch, but for an engineer, math fan, statistician, etc., definitely worth the buy.