The Arithmetic of Life [Hardcover]

George Shaffner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 1999

Life can make sense. All it takes is an open mind,
a few good numbers, and some simple arithmetic.

In The Arithmetic of Life and Death, George Shaffner brings to life the great wisdom inherent in equations as elementary as 1 + 1 = 2. For in the Information Age, numbers are the bottom line. Though many of us live in a blissful state where the memory of high school math classes have long receded from our synapses, if you can't master simple math--from your raise to the rise of inflation, your weekly family budget to the yearly federal deficit, sales tax to income tax, peaks in the stock market to drops in your cholesterol levels--you may go down for the count.

But don't despair. Shaffner's math meditations can show you how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide your way to deeper understanding. His math philosophy gives you real life lessons on how to think about numbers--minus the pain. The Arithmetic of Life and Death applies the basic principles of mathematics to some of the most profound, troubling, and just plain puzzling questions of our time.

Each chapter explains a unique facet of life that can only be understood through the magic of numbers. Whether it's a daring rumination on why more things go wrong in life than right, how much it will cost you to smoke for a lifetime, why crime (accumulatively) doesn't pay, why the probability that you would turn out to be you is one in billions of trillions, why meetings were invented (now there's a mystery), or the likelihood of life after death, this illuminating and lucidly reasoned book will forever change the way you think about numbers.

It's a contemplative philosophy for the post-modern age. It's The Arithmetic of Life and Death.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

George Shaffner is an entrepreneur and computer maven, so when he started writing essays on mathematics he did it in a very practical way, to help people answer questions such as "Should I stay in school?" or "Is there life after death?" Soon he expanded into a whole book, but kept his focus on the practical:

The design criteria for Arithmetic became: Use real-life examples, use actual words and numbers, keep it short, and exterminate all equations with unknown stuff in them.

Shaffner uses a light touch: most of his essays involve one or another member of two imagined Seattle families, the Sharpes and the DeNialls. Shaffner puts together an unusual but effective mix of humor, logic, statistics, and insight: he is probably correct that there would be less innumeracy if most math education was like this. --Mary Ellen Curtin

From Publishers Weekly

Do business meetings save more time than they waste? Can some gamblers expect to win more than they lose? On average, will you save or lose time by speeding? And what are your niece's chances of becoming what she wants to be when she grows up? Shaffner shows readers how to find answers to these and other questions of statistics, probability, simple economics and applied mathematics in this set of 38 linked essays aimed at the innumerate potential readers Shaffner nicknames "Math Refugees." The author explains how the cumulative "chance of getting caught" makes crime a bad career choice. He also shows how an exceptionally talented worker can damage a business: his or her own work may raise total productivity, but disgruntled co-workers who quarrel and slack off can cause a net loss. Shaffner's writing is usually clever and clear: many chapters rely on anecdotes, most of which feature prudent Cecilia Sharpe, unwise Reginald DeNiall and their families. (Sixteen-year-old Billy Ray DeNiall can expect his new cigarette habit to cost him, over his lifetime, $340,000.) Shaffner perhaps exceeds his brief in a number of essays with ethical, political and metaphysical agendas. His applied math "proves," for example, that government deficits are immoral, that Earth has exceeded sustainable population levels and that life after death is more likely than not. Whatever one thinks of these propositions, it's odd to see them presented as if they were analytic truths like the law of averages. Most of Shaffner's book simply explains and applies math for laypeople, however, and it's highly probable that many readers will learn from it. Agent, Jane Dystel. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (September 7, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345426312
• ISBN-13: 978-0345426314
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,174,148 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pithy, witty, thought=provoking, and informative, September 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Arithmetic of Life (Hardcover)

"The Arithmetic of Life" is a wonderful little book! Comprised of 40 pithy essays, it offers explanations for some of life's little (and not so little) mysteries. The book is highly readable, witty, and can be enjoyed by audiences of any age or walk of life. With subjects ranging from the cost of borrowing to whether we are alone in the universe, there is something in this book which will provide food for thought for everyone.

I would especially recommend the book for young adults or teens, and those who care about them. Many of the subjects are pertinent to young people just beginning to deal with the realities of life--like why it is important to finish school, why it's important to do a good job at work, and why you're apt to get caught if you persist in doing something you shouldn't. For those who can still manage to gather the whole family in one place for dinner, the book would provide a great basis for family readings and, more importantly, discussions. The book would make a great graduation gift or stocking stuffer.

I also recommend the book for employers and employees who wonder why things are crazy at the office. Read the book and find out why your best producer could be hurting your business or why some of those meetings are really necessary.

For those who get nervous and clammy at just hearing the word "arithmetic", don't worry. You don't have to solve an equation at the blackboard, and you don't have to have passed calculus to understand the examples offered. A knowledge of basic math, like addition and subtraction, is all you need, and the math is already done for you and offered as illustration to the narrative. In fact, as stated in the beginning, the book is written precisely for people who avoid math at all costs--and perhaps shouldn't.

Even if you think you have life whipped, there is much in the book you will just plain enjoy reading--and will surely want to pass it on to someone who is in real need of illumination--which, when you think about it, is just about everyone.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's for you if . . ., February 4, 2000

By 

D. Dudley (Henderson, NV USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Arithmetic of Life (Hardcover)

This book is for you if you have teenage children, or a day job, or grandparents, or if you wonder why the deck seems to be stacked against you more often than not. This book is not for you if you expect eloquent mathematical proofs, theorems, corollaries and the like. I especially appreciated the chapter about congressional pork barrel spending. It provides an excellent example of Mr. Shaffner's ability to use simple arithmetic to demonstrate startling realities. A hint - the national debt would not have been a topic in the State of the Union address if more citizens were aware of this application of simple arithmetic. Net/net: If your life is real, read this book. It's more than mildly thought provoking and quite entertaining. If you make your living with mathematics at the calculus level or above, get something else.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quantify Everything, February 2, 2000

By 

A math teacher (Redmond, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Arithmetic of Life (Hardcover)

If more math teachers saw the world the way that George Shaffner does, fewer students would whither away from boredom in the classroom. In The Arithmetic of Life, There are 40 excellent real-world scenarios designed to engage the reader in authentic mathematical thinking. Further, it is a wonderful book for those who want to learn to use numbers to their daily advantage. This book should be on every math teacher's bookshelf; young people would greatly benefit from the content and approach.