Customer Reviews

The Arithmetic of Life

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
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"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.

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.

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.

George Shaffner has taken a subject most people find terrifying and distasteful, *math*, and created a book that will fascinate and absorb the reader, while explaining that each life choice is clearly shown to stand or fall by simple mathematical calculations. I found the book impossible to put down. There's lessons for anyone who cares to learn them in "The Arithmetic of Life."

We bought two copies of the book, intending to give the second copy as a gift. It's already disappeared with my husband's boss, who also could not put the book down.

The "Arithmetic of Life" is a witty, intriguing, logical, and at times, powerful book. The subjects about which Mr. Shaffner writes apply to the young and old, rich and poor, and to people with and without integrity.

It is an easy and pleasant read, and should be a must for everyone who is interested in the odds and value of life and the world in which we live.

His unconventional theories are quite intriguing, and his humor throughout keeps the book quite lighthearted.

My favorite chapters were: "The Value of Education", "The Case for Smoking", "Investing Young", "The Tailgater's Advantage", "The National Debt", "Streaks and the Law of Averages", and "Life After Death".

This is a great stocking stuffer for all!

The Arithmetic of Life is a great book. Very easy to read, and full of wit and perspective.

I love the chapter on PLLO. These people drive me crazy. I think this perspective should be mandatory reading for all new wannabe drivers, young and old. Also the chapter on preservation of prejudice offers a great sarcastic view point, which no doubt will hit home with the readers of this book, but sadly would go lost on too many other people.

Funny, how this book sometimes encourage you with seemingly favorable odds for something good to happen, only to have you turn to the next chapter and end up thinking why bother when my odds are this bad?

Still, after all of this arithmetic explanation, I can't help but marvel at how often people beat the odds to an extent where the fundamental statistical aspects seemingly are in the eye of the beholder. For example, I have a good friend in the Northwest who routinely loses to his wife in Backgammon, despite making fewer mistakes. Whenever his wife needs double sixes to win she seems to pull it out, for as she puts it "there is after all a fifty-fifty chance, I either make it or I don't".

I highly recommend this book.

Packed with lots of sly humor, this book is an easy read and a clever way to assess human behavior and life's challenges. It's especially useful for parents of teens and a must buy for every teen in your life.

George Shaffner has been able to explain some of the more difficult concepts in life and spun them with statistics. Usually a dry subject, his approach is light and humoress and gets the arithmetic lesson across succinctly.

For those who don't know how arithmetic could possibly apply in their lifetime, they should read Shaffner's book and discover how it pervades.

Whether it's trying to convince your child to stay in school, or learning for yourself what the odds are of getting caught in an indiscretion, George shows with numbers just how to support your case.

There is a whole subseries within this book on motivation in the market place. Following the author's constructs, you can apply simple arithmetic to your life.

George Shaffner presents the numbers. You have to decide which route is the most feasible to take. It's usually not a life or death situation, but once you do the arithmetic, the choice is simple.

Most of the illustrations in the book are crafted around situations and decisions surrounding two fictitious families, DeNialls and Sharpes. That lends the book a storybook like format and makes it quick and easy to read. I found it to be a very thought provoking book.

I agree with most of the reviewers before me. It's a great buy. It is oddly categorized by most bookstores alongside arcane inaccessible Science books. So, if you aren't very scientifically or mathematically inclined, I think you got lucky that you stumbled upon this book.

"The Aritmetic of Life" by George Shaffner is one of those little gems that can easily be lost. Finding it in the book stores was the hard part--who in the world would put it next to books on calculus & chaos? This book was my holiday gift brain-storm; I sent it to the old, the young, the clever, and even relatives. Without exception, the book was a hit. One person even said, "It's so rare to have something make sense"--which is what Shaffner's book does. He is not trying to pull any sleight of hand mathematically--he is stating what should be obvious--and isn't always. This can be a "1st page to last page" read, or a "Pick it up & read the mimi-chapters that pique my interest" book. I can say without qualification that the potential reader has spent a lot of time perusing less interesting stuff--the little wrap-up sentences are terrific. This book is rather like Velcro--how come we didn't think of it?