Paulos, John Allen — A MATHEMATICIAN READS THE NEWSPAPER.

New York, Basic Books, 1995. 1st edition 212 pp. halfcloth with dustjacket . Mathematician John Allen Paulos employs his singular wit to guide us through an unlikely mathematical jungle: the pages of the daily newspaper. He takes stories that may not seem to involve math at all and demonstrates how mathematical naïvete can put readers at a distinct disadvantage. Whether he's using chaos theory to puncture economic and environmental predictions, applying logic to clarify the hazards of spin doctoring and news compression, or employing arithmetic and common sense to give us a novel perspective on greed and relationships, Paulos never fails to entertain and enlighten. Page edges some very light spots. Otherwise very nice and clean copy.