Squares and Sharps, Suckers and Sharks

Download or read book Squares and Sharps, Suckers and Sharks written by Joseph Buchdahl and published by High Stakes. This book was released on 2021-05-20 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People have been gambling, in one form or another, for as long as history itself. Why? Money, entertainment, escape and a desire to win are all traditional explanations. Arguably, however, these are secondary considerations to a higher order purpose: a craving for control. Gambling offers a means of gaining authority over the unknown, granting us a sense of control over uncertainty. Almost always that sense is illusory - gambling, including betting and investing, is essentially random - yet for many it is nonetheless profoundly rewarding. This book attempts to explore the reasons why. Along the way, it examines: The science of probability and uncertainty Why gambling is often condemned The difference between expectation and utility The irrationality of human beings Evolutionary perspectives on gambling Luck and skill Market efficiency and the wisdom of crowds Why winners take all Cheating Why the process matters more than the outcome