"An elegant and amusing account" of how gambling has been reshaped by the application of science and revealed the truth behind a lucky bet (Wall Street Journal). For the past 500 years, gamblers-led by mathematicians and scientists-have been trying to figure out how to pull the rug out from under Lady Luck. In The Perfect Bet, mathematician and award-winning writer Adam Kucharski tells the astonishing story of how the experts have succeeded, revolutionizing mathematics and science in the process. The house can seem unbeatable. Kucharski shows us just why it isn't. Even better, he demonstrates how the search for the perfect bet has been crucial for the scientific pursuit of a better world.

Best Bet is the story of a young woman's journey to discover the world, herself, and what she's left behind.

In His memoir, The Best Bet, Jamall Anderson tells the story of how his once rising career spiraled into gambling on games, and even betting against his own teammates. He reveals, for the first time, the role he played in the biggest gambling scandal in the history of NCAA College Football, and how it could easily happen today. Co-written with long time Tampa Bay Times columnist, Ernest Hooper, Anderson's journey details how his decisions at Boston College set off a chain of events that put him on a merry-go-round of disillusionment as he struggled to recapture the promise of his football glory days. Now, looking for closure twenty years after the scandal broke, Anderson offers a cautionary tale for aspiring athletes and the parents and the coaches who guide them. He seeks retribution through contribution. He shares his own failures and the seamy underside of college football that revolves aroung illegal wages, criminal mischief, and using prostitutes to help recruit high school athletes. The intoxicating freedom that came with being a rising star on a Catholic university campus, a lack of oversight by the coaches and administators guiding the Boston College program and society's ever-present temptations, proved to be a pitfall that Jamall couldn't overcome.

A Wall Street Journal bestseller, now in paperback. Poker champion turned decision strategist Annie Duke teaches you how to get comfortable with uncertainty and make better decisions. Even the best decision doesn't yield the best outcome every time. There's always an element of luck that you can't control, and there's always information hidden from view. So the key to long-term success (and avoiding worrying yourself to death) is to think in bets: How sure am I? What are the possible ways things could turn out? What decision has the highest odds of success? Did I land in the unlucky 10% on the strategy that works 90% of the time? Or is my success attributable to dumb luck rather than great decision making? Annie Duke, a former World Series of Poker champion turned consultant, draws on examples from business, sports, politics, and (of course) poker to share tools anyone can use to embrace uncertainty and make better decisions. For most people, it's difficult to say "I'm not sure" in a world that values and, even, rewards the appearance of certainty. But professional poker players are comfortable with the fact that great decisions don't always lead to great outcomes, and bad decisions don't always lead to bad outcomes. By shifting your thinking from a need for certainty to a goal of accurately assessing what you know and what you don't, you'll be less vulnerable to reactive emotions, knee-jerk biases, and destructive habits in your decision making. You'll become more confident, calm, compassionate, and successful in the long run.

Wonderful things are being invented every day in Al Pha's world-fire, the wheel, even shadows! His big chance to be part of history comes when the King announces that the twenty-six recently invented letters need to be put in order. Al makes a bet with himself that he's the man for the job. Through a series of funny events, he eventually finds the perfect order for the letters, and the king rewards him by naming his creation the "Alphabet." Sure to entertain and engage young readers, this book turns the ABC's inside out. Kids will laugh at the quirky illustrations and clever wordplay, while wondering where the alphabet really did get its order.

If you've ever wondered "What will happen to me when I die?" this book is for you. I first considered the question at eight years of age staring down the barrel of a thirty-eight-caliber revolver under a white-knuckled death grip in my father's hand--the same gun used on him by my older brother years earlier. Drawing on religion, science, philosophy, mathematics, near-death experiences (NDE), out-of-body experiences (OBE), spirit encounters, hundreds of interviews across the globe, and good old-fashioned common sense, Gambling With Your Soul tackles the controversial topic of life after death by standing on two fundamental truths. First, everyone is going to die. Second, no one knows what will happen to them after they die. In the face of these truths, what is your best bet? Analyzing the afterlife beliefs of the world's top twenty-two religions/nonreligions, this book proves it is Christianity. This is not to say that Christianity is "right," and all other religions are "wrong." It is simply your best bet. The book provides an original, objective, and comprehensive answer to the question that's sewn into the DNA of every human being.

"Eloquent and detailed...It's hard to have hope, but the organized observations and plans of Hoffman and people like her give me some. Read her book -- and listen." -- Jane Smiley, The Washington Post In her late 40s, Beth Hoffman decided to upend her comfortable life as a professor and journalist to move to her husband's family ranch in Iowa--all for the dream of becoming a farmer. There was just one problem: money. Half of America's two million farms made less than $300 in 2019, and many struggle just to stay afloat. Bet the Farm chronicles this struggle through Beth's eyes. She must contend with her father-in-law, who is reluctant to hand over control of the land. Growing oats is good for the environment but ends up being very bad for the wallet. And finding somewhere, in the midst of COVID-19, to slaughter grass finished beef is a nightmare. If Beth can't make it, how can farmers who confront racism, lack access to land, or don't have other jobs to fall back on hack it? Bet the Farm is a first-hand account of the perils of farming today and a personal exploration of more just and sustainable ways of producing food.