Conned again, Watson! : cautionary tales of logic, math, and probability

In Conned Again, Watson!, Colin Bruce re-creates the atmosphere of the original Sherlock Holmes stories to shed light on an enduring truth: Our reliance on common sense-and ignorance of mathematics-often gets us into trouble. In these cautionary tales of greedy gamblers, reckless businessmen, and ruthless con men, Sherlock Holmes uses his deep understanding of probability, statistics, decision theory, and game theory to solve crimes and protect the innocent. But it's not just the characters in these well-crafted stories that are deceived by statistics or fall prey to gambling fallacies. We all suffer from the results of poor decisions. In this illuminating collection, Bruce entertains while teaching us to avoid similar blunders. From "The Execution of Andrews" to "The Case of the Gambling Nobleman," there has never been a more exciting way to learn when to take a calculated risk-and how to spot a scam. Contents Preface Acknowledgments The Case of the Unfortunate Businessman The Case of the Gambling Nobleman The Case of the Surprise Heir The Case of the Ancient Mariner The Case of the Unmarked Graves The Case of the Martin Invasion Three Cases of Unfair Preferment The Execution of Andrews The Case of the Relative Honor The Case of the Poor Observer The Case of the Perfect Accountant Three Cases of Good Intentions Afterword Index

A thrilling way to learn about probability, statistics, and math-by watching Sherlock Holmes help victims exploited by evil con men

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London's master sleuth, Sherlock Holmes, and his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson, live again, thwarting criminals and con men with the aid of statistics and game theory in amusing short stories penned by physicist Bruce.

Presents stories in which Sherlock Holmes uses his understanding of probability, statistics, decision theory, and game theory to solve crimes and champion the innocent, rather than common sense alone. Reprint. 12,500 first printing. Cautionary tales, dressed up as Sherlock Holmes pastiches, about potential problems when applying mathematical reasoning (logical, probabilistic, statistical, game theoretic) to every-day problems. IT WAS THE MAN'S GHASTLY expression that first drew my attention to him.