Perplexing Paradoxes - by George G Szpiro (Hardcover)

About the Book

George G. Szpiro guides readers through the puzzling world of paradoxes, from Socratic dialogues to the Monty Hall Problem.

Book Synopsis

Why does it always seem like the elevator is going down when you need to go up? Is it really true that 0.99999 . . . with an infinite number of 9s after the decimal point, is equal to 1? What do tea leaves and river erosion have in common, per Albert Einstein? Does seeing a bed of red flowers help prove that all ravens are black? Can we make sense of a phrase like "this statement is unprovable"?

Exploring these questions and many more, George G. Szpiro guides readers through the puzzling world of paradoxes, from Socratic dialogues to the Monty Hall problem. Perplexing Paradoxes presents sixty counterintuitive conundrums drawn from diverse areas of thought--not only mathematics, statistics, logic, and philosophy but also social science, physics, politics, and religion. Szpiro offers a brisk history of each paradox, unpacks its inner workings, and considers where one might encounter it in daily life. Ultimately, he argues, paradoxes are not simple brain teasers or abstruse word games--they challenge us to hone our reasoning and become more alert to the flaws in received wisdom and common habits of thought.

Lighthearted, witty, and conversational, Perplexing Paradoxes presents sophisticated material in an accessible way for all readers interested in the world's boundless possibilities--and impossibilities.

Review Quotes

Of immense relevance to readers with an interest in logic, language, mathematics, and the history of philosophy. Exceptionally well written, inherently fascinating, thought-provoking, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in organization and presentation.-- "Midwest Book Review"

In this breezily written book, [Szpiro] offers a brain workout that succeeds, as his subtitle has it, at 'unraveling enigmas in the world around us'... with cogent examples from economics, law, philosophy and politics.-- "The Wall Street Journal"

It's no paradox that George Szpiro, author of Numbers Rule and Pricing the Future, has written another insightful, entertaining book, this time on some of the seeming absurdities that arise in philosophy, mathematics, and real life.--Barry Cipra, author of Misteaks . . . and How to Find them Before the Teacher Does: A Calculus Supplement

Think you've got a fine, analytical mind? Read this book. I can't tell you how many times I paused and thought, "OK, wait a sec . . . gotta read that again." The paradoxes arising out of simple-sounding conditions were, well, mind-boggling. A must-read!--Vint Cerf, internet pioneer

Very paradoxically, paradoxes have had a great influence on the evolution of knowledge. In this book, the master expositor George G. Szpiro narrates the most important ones in his inimitable gripping style, and each is followed by a crystal-clear denouement that explains, in plain English, the resolution. Like a good box of chocolates, it is better to savor each of the chapters individually, either randomly or consecutively, than to fall into the temptation of binging all of them at once. Enjoy!--Doron Zeilberger, Board of Governors Professor of Mathematics, Rutgers University

About the Author

George G. Szpiro is an author and journalist who was a longtime correspondent for the Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung. His many books include Numbers Rule: The Vexing Mathematics of Democracy, from Plato to the Present (2010) and Risk, Choice, and Uncertainty: Three Centuries of Economic Decision-Making (Columbia, 2020). Szpiro was on the faculty at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.