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Every time you buy a stock, play poker, or make plans based on a weather forecast, you are consigning your fate to probability. These 12 fascinating half-hour lectures help you understand the random factors that lurk behind almost everything. Professor Michael Starbird of the University of Texas at Austin knows the secret of making numbers come alive to non-mathematicians: he picks intriguing, useful, and entertaining examples. Here are some that you will explore in your investigation of probability as a reasoning tool: When did the most recent common ancestor of all humans live? How much should you pay for a stock option? What do you do on third down with long yardage? After an introduction to the key concepts of probability, you will delve into the wealth of applications, from biology to physics to finance to war. Probability comes to the rescue to describe what we should expect from the randomness of life. Take hold of this powerful tool and you can dispel uncertainty and understand the true odds in the game of life.
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About the Author
Michael Starbird is a University Distinguished Teaching Professor of Mathematics at The University of Texas at Austin. He has been at UT his whole career except for leaves, including as a Visiting Member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey and a member of the technical staff of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. He has received more than a dozen teaching awards including the Mathematical Association of America's 2007 national teaching award, the Texas statewide Minnie Stevens Piper Professor award, the UT Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award (in the inaugural year of the award) , and most of the UT-wide teaching awards including the Jean Holloway Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Friar Centennial Teaching Fellowship, the Chad Oliver Plan II Teaching Award, the President's Associates Teaching Excellence Award, the Dad's Association Centennial Teaching Fellowship, the Eyes of Texas Excellence Award (twice) , and others. He is a member of UT's Academy of Distinguished Teachers. He has produced DVD courses for The Teaching Company in the Great Courses Series on calculus, statistics, probability, geometry, and the joy of thinking and has given hundreds of lectures and workshops. He has co-authored several books including the innovative textbook for liberal arts students entitled "The Heart of Mathematics: An invitation to effective thinking." His new book with co-author Edward Burger is the general-audience book "The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking."
