Book Thoughts: The Improbability Principle by David Hand

The Improbability Principle: Why Coincidences, Miracles, and Rare Events Happen Every Day by David J. Hand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well written, conversational read about statistics and probability is probably (ha!) the best and most succinct way to describe this book. Hand does a good job of writing on a topic that is probably difficult for many people, as probability is often contrary to how humans perceive the world, chance, and opportunity. Hand uses that fact, though, to credibly explain and elucidate various laws of probability.

Specifically, the "improbability principle" of the books title is really composed of certain laws of probability - the law of inevitability, the law of truly large numbers, the law of selection, the law of the probability lever, and the law of near enough. Hand does a good job carefully explaining each one with useful examples, instead of relying on mathematical formulas. As such, he makes the book much more accessible to readers.

Someone has to have at least a basic interest in probability to have an interest in reading this book, but because the author succeeds so well in explaining probability without resorting to formulas, a reader does not need to really have any background in statistics to read, understand, and learn from reading this book.

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