Category Archives: Books

The Science of Conjecture: Evidence and Probability before Pascal

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5 out of 5 stars Stands above, way above other books on the history and philosophy of probability.,
July 9, 2015
By  N N Taleb “Nassim Nicholas Taleb”
This review is from: The Science of Conjecture: Evidence and Probability before Pascal (Paperback) by James Franklin
As a practitioner of probability, I’ve had to read many books on the subject. Most are linear combinations of other books and ideas rehashed without real understanding that the idea of probability harks back to the Greek pisteuo (credibility) [and pithanon that led to probabile in latin] and pervaded classical thought. Almost all of these writers made the mistake to think that the ancients were not into probability. And most books such as “Against the Gods” are not even wrong about the notion of probability: odds on coin flips are a mere footnote. Same with current experiments with psychology of probability. If the ancients were not into computable probabilities, it was not because of theology, but because they were not into highly standardized games. They dealt with complex decisions, not merely simplified and purified probability. And they were very sophisticated at it.

The author is both a mathematician and a philosopher, not a philosopher who took a calculus class hence has a shallow idea of combinatorics and feels dominated by the subject, something that plagues the subject of the philosophy of probability.

This book stands above, way above the rest: I’ve never seen a deeper exposition of the subject, as this text covers, in addition to the mathematical bases, the true philosophical origin of the notion of probability. Finally, Franklin covers matters related to ethics and contract law, such as the works of the medieval thinker Pierre de Jean Olivi, that very few people discuss today.

Source: Amazon
HatTip to Dave Lull

What unread books can teach us

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‘The Unread books are where the action is. The writer Nassim Taleb approvingly calls such a collection an “antilibrary”; one’s shelves, he argues, should contain “as much of what you do not know” as finances allow. And don’t expect the proportion of unread books to fall, either. The more you read, the more the perimeter of your knowledge increases, and the more you’ll realise you don’t know. (Incidentally, Eco’s deadpan response to his visitors’ question is, “No, these are the ones I have to read by the end of the month. I keep the others in my office.”)

Source: What unread books can teach us
HatTip to Dave Lull

1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover’s Life List

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5.0 out of 5 stars
This is THE reference book, April 15, 2015
By N N Taleb “Nassim Nicholas Taleb”This review is from: 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover’s Life List (Paperback)
If one is to name the single most knowledgeable person about food on planet Earth, it would be Mimi Sheraton. She is also –by far– the most experienced food critic in an area where experience matters the most, a field in which the expert is the expert. She has an insatiable curiosity, does her homework, visits countries, argues with locals, tries all manner of restaurants, and is never fooled by hot air or pseudosphistication.
I have seen it with my own eyes. Over the past 34 years i watched her in action, particularly when after my graduation, I would go order for her in restaurants so the food would get to the table before the waiters recognized her. She did not use her priviledge as a food critic to get the better quality food and service than the rest of the people –a testament of both ethics and curiosity.
As I said she is the real thing; this book is the real book.

via Amazon.com: N N Taleb “Nassim Nicholas Taleb”‘s review of 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food ….
HatTip to Dave Lull

The absolute best best best noBS book on hist of probability is Franklin’s

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NNT tweeted: “The absolute best best best noBS book on hist of probability is Franklin’s” and linked to his Amazon review.
5.0 out of 5 stars Indispensable, August 31, 2013

By N N Taleb

This review is from: The Science of Conjecture: Evidence and Probability before Pascal (Paperback)

As a practitioner of probability, I’ve read many book on the subject. Most are linear combinations of other books and ideas rehashed without real understanding that the idea of probability harks back the Greek pisteuo (credibility) [and pithanon that led to probabile in latin] and pervaded classical thought. Almost all of these writers made the mistake to think that the ancients were not into probability. And most books such “Against the Gods” are not even wrong about the notion of probability: odds on coin flips are a mere footnote. If the ancients were not into computable probabilities, it was not because of theology, but because they were not into games. They dealt with complex decisions, not merely probability. And they were very sophisticated at it.

This book stands above, way above the rest: I’ve never seen a deeper exposition of the subject, as this text covers, in addition to the mathematical bases, the true philosophical origin of the notion of probability. In addition Franklin covers matters related to ethics and contract law, such as the works of the medieval thinker Pierre de Jean Olivi, that very few people discuss today.

via Amazon.com: N N Taleb “Nassim Nicholas Taleb”‘s review of The Science of Conjecture: Evidence and Pr….