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Keith Devlin
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The Unfinished Game: Pascal, Fermat, and the Seventeenth-Century Letter that Made the World Modern Paperback – March 23, 2010

by Keith Devlin (Author)

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In the early seventeenth century, the outcome of something as simple as a dice roll was consigned to the realm of unknowable chance. Mathematicians largely agreed that it was impossible to predict the probability of an occurrence. Then, in 1654, Blaise Pascal wrote to Pierre de Fermat explaining that he had discovered how to calculate risk. The two collaborated to develop what is now known as probability theory -- a concept that allows us to think rationally about decisions and events.

In The Unfinished Game, Keith Devlin masterfully chronicles Pascal and Fermat's mathematical breakthrough, connecting a centuries-old discovery with its remarkable impact on the modern world.
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  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Basic Books
  4. Publication date
    March 23, 2010
  5. Grade level
    11 and up
  6. Reading age
    13 years and up
  7. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.5 x 8.25 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    0465018963
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0465018963
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About the Author

Keith Devlin is a Senior Researcher and Executive Director at Stanford's Center for the Study of Language and Information, a Consulting Professor in the Department of Mathematics, and a co-founder of the Stanford Media X research network. National Public Radio's "Math Guy," he is the author of over twenty-five books. He lives in Stanford, California.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 23, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465018963
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465018963
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.4 ounces
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.25 inches
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 11 and up
  • Best Sellers Rank: #1,351,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

About the author

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Keith Devlin

Keith Devlin

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Dr. Keith Devlin is a mathematician at Stanford University in California. He is a co-founder and Executive Director of the university's H-STAR institute and a co-founder of the Stanford mediaX research network. He has written 33 books and over 80 published research articles. His books have been awarded the Pythagoras Prize and the Peano Prize, and his writing has earned him the Carl Sagan Award, and the Joint Policy Board for Mathematics Communications Award. In 2003, he was recognized by the California State Assembly for his "innovative work and longtime service in the field of mathematics and its relation to logic and linguistics." He is "the Math Guy" on National Public Radio. (Archived at http://www.stanford.edu/~kdevlin/MathGuy.html.)

He is a World Economic Forum Fellow, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society. His current research is focused on the use of different media to teach and communicate mathematics to diverse audiences. In this connection, he is a co-founder and Chief Scientist of an educational technology company called BrainQuake, that designs and build mathematics learning video games. He also works on the design of information/reasoning systems for intelligence analysis. Other research interests include: theory of information, models of reasoning, applications of mathematical techniques in the study of communication, and mathematical cognition.

He writes a monthly column for the Mathematical Association of America, "Devlin's Angle": http://www.maa.org/devlin/devangle.html; maintains a blog: https://profkeithdevlin.org; and writes articles for the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/keithdevlin-162

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Jayjee
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Unfinished game
    Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Anything by Keith Devlin is perfect. If you want a really grand weekend, buy several of his books, turn off your cellphone, lock yourself away from the world with a pot of coffee or tea, a couple of Snickers bars and dive right in. His writing is wonderful, clear as can be and what could be more fun than a pile of beautifully written math books. Mathematicians are, in general, exquisite writers. You might want to try Men of Mathematics by E.T. Bell in this weekend as well. And, anything Simon Singh. If I know you will get Keith's book I will be very happy for you.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Lars Tackmann
    5.0 out of 5 stars History and teaching in one book
    Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The unfinished game tells the story of the development of probability theory. From its early beginnings, on to Gaussian distribution and Bayes theorem all the way up to its central role in modern risk and finance theory. It's an easy read, mostly historical with interesting anecdotes. However it also manages to teach you a little probability theory and statistical thinking along the way. In short a great little arm chair math book that is highly recommended for both laymen and professionals alike.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • David J. Aldous
    4.0 out of 5 stars Valuable detailed account of an oft-mentioned episode in the history of probability
    Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2008
    Verified Purchase
    Many textbooks on mathematical probability mention as a brief aside the correspondence between Pascal and Fermat on the subject of settling fairly a wager on an unfinished game. And many of the popular science style books on probability which have substantial historical components (amongst my favorites, Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk and Chances Are: Adventures in Probability) devote a few pages to this topic. The first half of Devlin's book, whose style positions it slightly more toward the "serious" end of the popular science spectrum, presents and discusses the correspondence, accompanied by background about the lives of the two principals and their contemporaries. Having a detailed yet easy to read account of this subject is a very welcome addition to the literature.

    I'm less enthusiastic about the second half, consisting of briefer accounts of the contributions of people such as Graunt, the Bernoullis, Gauss, Bayes and fast forwarding to DNA testimony and Black-Scholes. Much of this material is similar in spirit to that in existing books (such as the two mentioned above) which paint a broader and richer historical picture. Moreover the implication that there's some kind of meaningful direct line from Pascal-Fermat to the present mathematical understanding of probability, risk etc seems to me just misleading. In core areas of mathematics (geometry, algebra, calculus ..) there was a continuous historical development, in that people consciously learned and built upon what was known before. In contrast, pre 20th century mathematical probability was more a disjointed collection of small topics initiated by different individuals with different motivations -- metaphorically, an archipelago not a continent.

    Note: The listing as 208 pages may be misleading (the pages are smallish and the typeface large), though the price is still very reasonable.
    43 people found this helpful
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  • Jonathan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, Devlin is a master of approachable science writing
    Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2015
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    A biography of a problem and its solution. Only way to describe it. Absolutely brilliant. I used to have an autographed copy (sadly not by Pascal or Fermat), now have a digital replacement. That's how valuable the book is.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Theo
    3.0 out of 5 stars Short and good history of the development of statidtics
    Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Short and good history of statistics starting with the correspondence between Pascal and Fermat. Good read for people with little math background.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Ricardo Mansilla
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This book reports a well conducted research on the origins of probability theory. In plain language the author lead the reader to discovering both historical and technical details of the birth of this science. Highly recommended.
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  • R. Hunt
    5.0 out of 5 stars No problems with the Kindle version
    Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    One of the reviewers said that the Kindle version of this book was hard to read. However, I had no problems at all with the Kindle version. I also really enjoyed the book. It is a short but fascinating glimpse into the history of probability.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Tuffy Bancroft
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2014
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    Fabulous expose of the roots of probability theory.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Mr Maker
    3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    As a student of "Randomness" and "Chance" as an amateur mathematician I found this book a bit dull.
    One person found this helpful
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