Why Flip a Coin: The Art and Science of Good Decisions [Paperback]

H. W. Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 27, 1998

"It is rare to come across a book that can truly be called fascinating, but here is one."-New Scientist

Why Flip a Coin?

What's the best way to choose the right spouse? . . . How can I increase my chances of winning the office football pool? . . . By what process should I choose a candidate in the Senate race? . . . Could I possibly make more money playing poker instead of the stock market?

Using examples gleaned from everyday life, noted physicist H. W. Lewis explains what science has discovered about the rules that govern good-and not-so-good-decision making. Full of provocative insights into human psychology and behavior, Why Flip a Coin? will leave you laughing-even as you're learning.

"Should you read this book or not? If you don't read it you will surely miss out on Lewis's flinty wit and sharp sense of irony. The choice is clear. You needn't even flip a coin."-The Sciences

"Lighthearted but far from flippant."-Amazon.com (Science Editor's Recommended Book)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Life is full of difficult decisions. Do you spend your money today or save it for tomorrow? Which presidential candidate really deserves your vote? How can you find the perfect mate? H. W. Lewis's lighthearted but far-from-flippant book Why Flip a Coin? examines the ways in which you can make a rational decision--that is, the best possible decision given the available information. Along the way he describes probabilities, the prisoner's dilemma, gambling, voting systems, and more, offering a fun, math-free look at the logic behind tricky decisions and common fallacies. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Publisher

This well written introduction to an interesting area of science uses real-life examples to demonstrate how to make decisions to the general reader. The author reveals scientific discoveries about the rules that determine the making of a good decision. Some topics covered in this book include, how to pick a spouse, how to win in the office football pool, how to make more money gambling by investing in stocks, and how to pick the best political candidate.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (August 27, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471296457
• ISBN-13: 978-0471296454
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,461,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best math book ever- Wanna know the secret? No math!, December 13, 2010

By 

Chris Wagner (Brown Deer, WI, US) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Why Flip a Coin: The Art and Science of Good Decisions (Hardcover)

This book does what every other math book on the planet fails to do; explain why you need to know math, logic and reason. The situations and logic in this book are easily translatable into every day situations. Each chapter is broken down into short, easy to read, segments that use simple stories to convey otherwise complex concepts.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It helps to be American..., January 1, 2003

By 

obediah (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why Flip a Coin: The Art and Science of Good Decisions (Hardcover)

This is a book about the process of making decisions. It covers quite a broad range of topics from individual decision making to group decisions. Both qualitative and quantitative perspectives are considered. Good decisions do not necessarily result in good outcomes. Instead the decision maker is responsible for making the best decision possible with the information on hand at the time. This usually results from an assessment of the projected consequences and the probability of various outcomes.

I like the book because it is easy to read and the author laces the text with some very humorous cynicism. The book covers a diverse number of topics from dating, to gambling, to investing to war. Unfortunately the book is most definitely targeted at the American market. The book includes discussion on American law, the Constitution and American sports. Occasionally I found my eyes glazing over because I couldn't find any broad relevance in the material. This only occurred a small percentage of the time much of the book is very generalisable to anyone faced with making a decision.

Overall the book was a highly enjoyable read. Thoroughly recommended if you would like to improve your decision making or would just like a good intellectual exploration of the process of making sound decisions.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars NOT for actuaries & experts in statistical decision theory, September 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Why Flip a Coin: The Art and Science of Good Decisions (Paperback)

The inevitability of decision making means it pays to understand how decisions are made, ergo decision science. Using examples gleaned from everyday life, physicist H.W. Lewis explains what decision science has discovered about the rules that govern good, and not-so-good, decision-making.

This book is not intended for actuaries and those already expert in statistical decision theory. It is intended to help the rest of us improve our understanding of decision science, to become more inquisitive about how decisions are made, both by us and for us, and to function a little more effectively, both as individuals and as members of society.

The author is Professor Emeritus in Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 1991, he received a Science Writing Award from the American Institute of Physics. He is a member of the Advisory Committee on Nuclear Facility Safety.

Reviewed by Azlan Adnan. Formerly Business Development Manager with KPMG, Azlan is currently managing partner of Azlan & Koh Knowledge and Professional Management Group, an education and management consulting practice based in Kota Kinabalu. He holds a Master's degree in International Business and Management.