New Releases by William Poundstone

Learn how to succeed at interview mind games and win job offers at A‑list companies, with more than eighty difficult and devious questions, puzzles, and brain teasers Each year about 28 million Americans begin a search for a new job. Many more live in the age of the permanent job search, their online profiles eternally awaiting a better offer. Job seekers are more mobile and better informed than ever, aspiring to work for employers offering an appealing culture, a robust menu of perks, and opportunities for personal fulfillment and advancement. The result is that millions of applications stream to the handful of companies that regularly top listings of the best companies to work for: Apple, Netflix, Amazon, Alphabet, Disney, SpaceX, Oracle, Pricewaterhouse-Coopers, and others. Tesla has received as many as 200 applications for each open position. How do selective employers choose which people to hire? It’s through interviews asking uniquely demanding questions testing imagination, persistence, and creativity, like: Can an astronaut throw a baseball so it hits Earth? If you had $2,000, how would you double it in 24 hours? How is a milk carton like a plane seat? Chicken McNuggets come in boxes of 6, 9, and 20. What’s the largest number of McNuggets that McDonald’s can’t sell you? How many dogs in the world have the exact same number of hairs? How Do You Fight a Horse-Sized Duck? explores the new world of interviewing at A-list employers. It reveals more than eighty notoriously challenging interview questions and supplies both answers and a general strategy for creative problem-solving.

How do you predict something that has never happened before? There''s a useful calculation being employed by Wall Street, Silicon Valley and maths professors all over the world, and it predicts that the human species will become extinct in 760 years. Unfortunately, there is disagreement over how to apply the formula, and some argue that we might only have twenty years left. Originally devised by British clergyman Thomas Bayes, the theorem languished in obscurity for two hundred years before being resurrected as the lynchpin of the digital economy. With brief detours into archaeology, philology, and overdue library books, William Poundstone explains how we can use it to predict pretty much anything. What is the chance that there are multiple universes? How long will Hamilton run? Will the US stock market continue to perform as well this century as it has for the last hundred years? And are we really all doomed?

From the author of Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google?, a fascinating look at how an equation that foretells the future is transforming everything we know about life, business, and the universe. In the 18th century, the British minister and mathematician Thomas Bayes devised a theorem that allowed him to assign probabilities to events that had never happened before. It languished in obscurity for centuries until computers came along and made it easy to crunch the numbers. Now, as the foundation of big data, Bayes'' formula has become a linchpin of the digital economy. But here''s where things get really interesting: Bayes'' theorem can also be used to lay odds on the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence; on whether we live in a Matrix-like counterfeit of reality; on the "many worlds" interpretation of quantum theory being correct; and on the biggest question of all: how long will humanity survive? The Doomsday Calculation tells how Silicon Valley''s profitable formula became a controversial pivot of contemporary thought. Drawing on interviews with thought leaders around the globe, it''s the story of a group of intellectual mavericks who are challenging what we thought we knew about our place in the universe. The Doomsday Calculation is compelling reading for anyone interested in our culture and its future.

The real-world value of knowledge in the mobile-device age. More people know who Khloe Kardashian is than who Rene Descartes was. Most can''t find Delaware on a map, correctly spell the word occurrence, or name the largest ocean on the planet. But how important is it to fill our heads with facts? A few keystrokes can summon almost any information in seconds. Why should we bother learning facts at all? Bestselling author William Poundstone confronts that timely question in Head in the Cloud. He shows that many areas of knowledge correlate with the quality of our lives -- wealth, health, and happiness -- and even with politics and behavior. Combining Big Data survey techniques with eye-opening anecdotes, Poundstone examines what Americans know (and don''t know) on topics ranging from quantum physics to pop culture. Head in the Cloud asks why we''re okay with spelling errors on menus but not on resumes; why Fox News viewers don''t know which party controls Congress; why people who know "trivia" make more money than those who don''t; how individuals can navigate clickbait and media spin to stay informed about what really matters. Hilarious, humbling, and wildly entertaining, Head in the Cloud is a must-read for anyone who doesn''t know everything.

Como a psicologia da construção dos preços afeta nossos hábitos de consumo, a percepção das marcas e as vendas. Preços são uma alucinação coletiva. Quem delimita o valor de tudo o que compramos: aquele que vende ou aquele que compra? Das mais variadas pesquisas sobre economia, um resultado é comum a todas: somos altamente influenciáveis na hora de estabelecermos valores aos produtos. Um simples 9 no final de um preço ou a palavra "liquidação" são capazes de modificar nossa tomada de decisão. A nova psicologia dos preços determina o desenho das etiquetas de preços, o formato dos cardápios, os tipos de desconto, os anúncios de "liquidação", a arrumação dos corredores dos supermercados, o tamanho das letras das embalagens e muito mais. Os preços são fatores de persuasão muito sutis, mas ao mesmo tempo extremamente subjetivos e determinantes de fracassos ou sucessos de vendas. Com muitos casos atuais e interessantes, este livro será muito útil tanto para profissionais de marketing como para empreendedores.

We are hard-wired to believe that the world is more predictable than it is. We chase ‘winning streaks’ that are often just illusions, and we are all too predictable exactly when we try hardest not to be. In the 1970s, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky coined the phrase ‘representativeness’ to describe the psychology of this behaviour. Since then representativeness has been used by auditors to catch people fiddling their tax returns and by hedge fund managers to reap billions from the emotions of small investors. Now Poundstone for the first time makes these techniques fun, easy, and profitable for everyone, in the everyday situations that matter. You’ll learn how to tackle multiple choice tests, what internet passwords to avoid, how to up your odds of winning the office Premier League sweepstakes, and the best ways to invest your money.

A practical guide to outguessing everything, from multiple-choice tests to the office football pool to the stock market. People are predictable even when they try not to be. William Poundstone demonstrates how to turn this fact to personal advantage in scores of everyday situations, from playing the lottery to buying a home. Rock Breaks Scissors is mind-reading for real life. Will the next tennis serve go right or left? Will the market go up or down? Most people are poor at that kind of predicting. We are hard-wired to make bum bets on "trends" and "winning streaks" that are illusions. Yet ultimately we''re all in the business of anticipating the actions of others. Poundstone reveals how to overcome the errors and improve the accuracy of your own outguessing. Rock Breaks Scissors is a hands-on guide to turning life''s odds in your favor.

This fascinating popular science journey explores key concepts in information theory in terms of Conway''s "Game of Life" program. The author explains the application of natural law to a random system and demonstrates the necessity of limits. Other topics include the limits of knowledge, paradox of complexity, Maxwell''s demon, Big Bang theory, and much more. 1985 edition.

"Quante palle da golf stanno in uno scuolabus? ", "Misurate esattamente 9 minuti usando soltanto una clessidra da 4 minuti e una da 7 minuti", "Sei ridotto alle dimensioni di una monetina e ti buttano in un frullatore. La tua massa è anch''essa ridotta in modo che la tua densità rimanga invariata. Le lame cominceranno a girare tra sessanta secondi. Cosa fai?" Questi sono soltanto alcuni dei test apparentemente impossibili che vengono trattati in Sei abbastanza sveglio per lavorare in Google? In questa guida del ventunesimo secolo al lavoro dei vostri sogni, William Poundstone svela la storia, i segreti e le tortuose tecniche di selezione delle più importanti aziende - in particolare delle compagnie tecnologiche - del giorno d''oggi, svelandovi come affrontare e risolvere decine dei più difficili quesiti utilizzati nei colloqui di lavoro. Scoprirete l''importanza del pensiero creativo (e le ragioni per cui le compagnie lo apprezzano più di ogni altra qualità o referenza), acquisirete gli strumenti per avere la meglio nella competizione (tenendo presente che talvolta potrebbe non esserci una risposta giusta, ma che c''è sempre una risposta migliore), comprenderete quanto conti la vostra pagina Facebook (e come volgere a vostro favore i social network) e molto altro ancora. Questo libro è una guida affascinante, divertente e indispensabile alla soluzione del problema di come avere successo nell''odierno mercato del lavoro.

Questions pièges, énigmes métaphysiques, puzzles impossibles et autres techniques d’interviews pour trouver un travail dans la nouvelle écomonie. • Vous rapetissez jusqu’à la taille d’une pièce de cinq centimes et êtes projeté dans un mixeur. Les lames entrent en action dans soixante secondes. Que faites-vous ? • Si vous étiez un personnage de BD, lequel seriez-vous, et pourquoi ? • Si vous aviez une pile de piécettes d’un cent aussi haute que l’Empire State Building, pourriez-vous toutes les faire tenir dans une seule pièce ? • Comment pèseriez-vous votre tête ? • Combien de flacons de shampoing sont produits dans le monde chaque année ? • Un homme a poussé sa voiture jusqu’à un hôtel et perdu sa fortune. Que s’est-il passé ? • Nage-t-on plus vite dans l’eau ou dans le sirop ? Avec plus de soixante-dix questions extraites d’entretiens aussi ardus que délirants – et leurs réponses –, Êtes-vous assez intelligent pour travailler chez Google ? vous enseignera les secrets qui vous permettront de décrocher un job de rêve dans la nouvelle économie ! Apple, Google, Microsoft... tous les ans, ces entreprises de pointe reçoivent des millions de C.V. Comment recrutent-ils ? Quelles questions pièges ont-ils inventé avec l’aide de psychologues à l’esprit tortueux pour sélectionner les profils les mieux adaptés, souvent les plus originaux ? Comment éviter que votre page Facebook effraie les recruteurs ? Comment utiliser au mieux les réseaux sociaux pour les convaincre ? Un guide fascinant, distrayant et indispensable ! Traduit de l’anglais par Bernard Sigaud

o Je krimpt tot een grootte van een dubbeltje en wordt in een blender gegooid. De blender zal binnen een minuut worden aangezet. Wat doet je? o Je zet een glas met water op een grammofoon en geleidelijk begint die steeds sneller te draaien. Wat gebeurt er als eerst: het glas glijdt ervan af, het glas valt om of het water valt eruit? o Je krijgt een blok kaas en een mes. Hoeveel keer moet je de kaas snijden, zodat je 27 kleine, gelijke blokjes hebt? o Hoeveel hele getallen tussen de 1 en 1.000 bevatten een 3? o Op een verlaten snelweg is de kans dat er een auto langskomt binnen 30 minuten 95%. Hoe hoog is de kans dat er een auto langskomt binnen 10 minuten? o Leg aan je neefje van acht jaar uit wat een database is en gebruik hiervoor 3 zinnen. Dit zijn vragen die je gesteld kunnen worden als je bij Google - of een willekeurig ander bedrijf in de dotcom economy - solliciteert. Ben jij slim genoeg om bij Google te werken? loodst je langs verrassende antwoorden op tientallen van de meest uitdagende vragen die op je afgevuurd kunnen worden tijdens een sollicitatiegesprek.

Descubra los códigos para destacar en las entrevistas y conseguir el trabajo que desea en la nueva economía. Si dispone de un montón de monedas tan alto como el Empire State Building, ¿podrá meterlas todas en una habitación? ¿Cómo mediría el peso de su cabeza? ¿Cuántas botellas de champú se producen al año en todo el mundo? ¿Si fuera un personaje de dibujos animados, cuál escogería y por qué? Estas son algunas de las preguntas aparentemente imposibles de responder que suelen plantear en sus procesos de selección de personal las empresas más importantes del mundo, como Google, por ejemplo. William Poundstone revela en este libro las técnicas y los trucos empleados en las entrevistas, y le ofrece las respuestas a muchas de esas cuestiones tan comprometidas. En ¿Es lo bastante inteligente como para trabajar en Google? descubrirá la importancia del pensamiento creativo (y por qué las empresas lo valoran por encima de los títulos, la experiencia o el coeficiente intelectual), y la manera de destacar en los procesos de selección a los que se enfrente. Este libro constituye una ayuda maravillosa para triunfar en el competitivo mercado de trabajo de hoy en día. La crítica ha dicho... «Poundstone ofrece al lector la posibilidad de medirse con las mentes más brillantes de las empresas punteras de Estados Unidos, al tiempo que demuestra una gran capacidad para explicar conceptos complejos con sencillez.» Bloomberg Businessweek «Un ingenioso manifiesto sobre las técnicas de selección... Poundstone nos presenta un gran número de rompecabezas y una relación exhaustiva de todos los factores que debemos tener en cuenta a la hora de solucionarlos.» CultureLab-New Scientist «En este libro encontrará toda la artillería necesaria para preparar su próxima entrevista de trabajo.» Kirkus Reviews «El estilo ameno de Poundstone convierte la lectura de su libro en un auténtico placer, incluso para quienes no están buscando un trabajo.» Publishers Weekly

You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and thrown in a blender. The blades start moving in 60 seconds. What do you do? If you want to work at Google, or any of America''s best companies, you need to have an answer to this and other puzzling questions. Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google? guides readers through the surprising solutions to dozens of the most challenging interview questions. The book covers the importance of creative thinking, ways to get a leg up on the competition, what your Facebook page says about you, and much more. Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google? is a must-read for anyone who wants to succeed in today''s job market.

A masterful work of science writing that’s "both a fascinating biography of von Neumann, the Hungarian exile whose mathematical theories were building blocks for the A-bomb and the digital computer, and a brilliant social history of game theory and its role in the Cold War and nuclear arms race" (San Francisco Chronicle). Should you watch public television without pledging?...Exceed the posted speed limit?...Hop a subway turnstile without paying? These questions illustrate the so-called "prisoner''s dilemma", a social puzzle that we all face every day. Though the answers may seem simple, their profound implications make the prisoner''s dilemma one of the great unifying concepts of science. Watching players bluff in a poker game inspired John von Neumann—father of the modern computer and one of the sharpest minds of the century—to construct game theory, a mathematical study of conflict and deception. Game theory was readily embraced at the RAND Corporation, the archetypical think tank charged with formulating military strategy for the atomic age, and in 1950 two RAND scientists made a momentous discovery. Called the "prisoner''s dilemma," it is a disturbing and mind-bending game where two or more people may betray the common good for individual gain. Introduced shortly after the Soviet Union acquired the atomic bomb, the prisoner''s dilemma quickly became a popular allegory of the nuclear arms race. Intellectuals such as von Neumann and Bertrand Russell joined military and political leaders in rallying to the "preventive war" movement, which advocated a nuclear first strike against the Soviet Union. Though the Truman administration rejected preventive war the United States entered into an arms race with the Soviets and game theory developed into a controversial tool of public policy—alternately accused of justifying arms races and touted as the only hope of preventing them. Prisoner''s Dilemma is the incisive story of a revolutionary idea that has been hailed as a landmark of twentieth-century thought.

The inside story on institutional secrets, including the formula for Coca-Cola, how to beat a lie detector, currency conspiracies, and other hidden facts. Are there really secret backward messages in rock music, or is somebody nuts? We tested suspect tunes at a recording studio to find out. What goes on at Freemason initiations? Here’s the whole story, including—yes!—the electric carpet. Colonel Sanders boasted that Kentucky Fried Chicken’s eleven secret herbs and spices “stand on everybody’s shelf.” We got a sample of the seasoning mix and sent it to a food chemist for analysis. Feverish rumor has it that Walt Disney’s body was frozen and now lies in a secret cryonic vault somewhere beneath the Pirates of the Caribbean exhibit at Disneyland. Read the certified stranger-than-fiction truth. Don’t bother trying to figure out how Doug Henning, David Copperfield, and Harry Blackstone, Jr., perform their illusions. Big Secrets has complete explanations and diagrams—nothing left to the imagination.

Prada stores carry a few obscenely expensive items in order to boost sales for everything else (which look like bargains in comparison). People used to download music for free, then Steve Jobs convinced them to pay. How? By charging 99 cents. That price has a hypnotic effect: the profit margin of the 99 Cents Only store is twice that of Wal-Mart. Why do text messages cost money, while e-mails are free? Why do jars of peanut butter keep getting smaller in order to keep the price the "same"? The answer is simple: prices are a collective hallucination. In Priceless, the bestselling author William Poundstone reveals the hidden psychology of value. In psychological experiments, people are unable to estimate "fair" prices accurately and are strongly influenced by the unconscious, irrational, and politically incorrect. It hasn''t taken long for marketers to apply these findings. "Price consultants" advise retailers on how to convince consumers to pay more for less, and negotiation coaches offer similar advice for businesspeople cutting deals. The new psychology of price dictates the design of price tags, menus, rebates, "sale" ads, cell phone plans, supermarket aisles, real estate offers, wage packages, tort demands, and corporate buyouts. Prices are the most pervasive hidden persuaders of all. Rooted in the emerging field of behavioral decision theory, Priceless should prove indispensable to anyone who negotiates.

Our Electoral System is Fundamentally Flawed, But There''s a Simple and Fair Solution At least five U.S. presidential elections have been won by the second most popular candidate. The reason was a "spoiler"—a minor candidate who takes enough votes away from the most popular candidate to tip the election to someone else. The spoiler effect is more than a glitch. It is a consequence of one of the most surprising intellectual discoveries of the twentieth century: the "impossibility theorem" of Nobel laureate economist Kenneth Arrow. The impossibility theorem asserts that voting is fundamentally unfair—a finding that has not been lost on today''s political consultants. Armed with polls, focus groups, and smear campaigns, political strategists are exploiting the mathematical faults of the simple majority vote. In recent election cycles, this has led to such unlikely tactics as Republicans funding ballot drives for Green spoilers and Democrats paying for right-wing candidates'' radio ads. Gaming the Vote shows that there is a solution to the spoiler problem that will satisfy both right and left. A system called range voting, already widely used on the Internet, is the fairest voting method of all, according to computer studies. Despite these findings, range voting remains controversial, and Gaming the Vote assesses the obstacles confronting any attempt to change the American electoral system. The latest of several books by William Poundstone on the theme of how important scientific ideas have affected the real world, Gaming the Vote is a wry exposé of how the political system really works, and a call to action.

In 1961, MIT mathematics professor Ed Thorp made a small Vegas fortune by "counting cards"; his 1962 bestseller, "Beat the Dealer," made the phrase a household word. With Claude Shannon, the father of information theory, Thorp next conquered the roulette tables. In this prosaic but fascinating cultural history, the author of "How Would You Move Mt. Fuji?" tells not only what they did but how they did it.

From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, employers are using tough and tricky questions to gauge job candidates'' intelligence, imagination, and problem-solving ability -- qualities needed to survive in today''s hypercompetitive global marketplace. For the first time, William Poundstone reveals the toughest questions used at Microsoft and other Fortune 500 companies -- and supplies the answers. He traces the rise and controversial fall of employer-mandated IQ tests, the peculiar obsessions of Bill Gates (who plays jigsaw puzzles as a competitive sport), the sadistic mind games of Wall Street (which reportedly led one job seeker to smash a forty-third-story window), and the bizarre excesses of today''s hiring managers (who may start off your interview with a box of Legos or a game of virtual Russian roulette). How Would You Move Mount Fuji? is an indispensable book for anyone in business. Managers seeking the most talented employees will learn to incorporate puzzle interviews in their search for the top candidates. Job seekers will discover how to tackle even the most brain-busting questions, and gain the advantage that could win the job of a lifetime. And anyone who has ever dreamed of going up against the best minds in business may discover that these puzzles are simply a lot of fun. Why are beer cans tapered on the end, anyway?

Sauter les tourniquets du métro ? Rouler dans les couloirs d''autobus ? Polluer sans payer ou pêcher les dernières baleines ? Est-il vraisemblable que dans toutes ces questions où intérêt individuel et bien collectif sont en conflit on retrouve la même structure mathématique, 4 nombres rangés dans un certain ordre et enfermés dans un petit tableau carré ? Dans la plus pure de ces situations, vous et un coaccusé êtes, chacun dans sa cellule, confrontés au dilemme : témoigner contre votre complice (a) ou garder le silence (b). Vous retournez la situation dans votre tête : aucun doute, qu''il choisisse (a) ou qu''il choisisse (b), vous vous en sortez mieux si vous trahissez. Mais s''il raisonne comme vous, c''est le pire assuré pour vous deux. Toute la morale est-elle là, comme le pressentait un certain Emmanuel Kant ? Car la seule chose qui pourrait vous sauver, c''est que chacun se pose la question : et si l''autre en faisait autant ? En analysant le comportement des joueurs de poker, von Neumann, le père de l''ordinateur et l''une des plus brillantes intelligences du siècle, élabora la théorie des jeux à somme nulle. John Nash montra quelle est la meilleure façon de jouer dans un jeu à somme non nulle. Flood et Dresher découvrirent, avec le dilemme du prisonnier, que la " meilleure solution " de Nash, si elle est appliquée par tous, peut mener au pire pour tous. Tout cela se passait dans les années 40 et 50, entre la mise au point de la bombe atomique et le début de la guerre froide, quand von Neumann et Bertrand Russell défendaient l''idée de la guerre préventive. Inventé peu après que les Soviétiques aient à leur tour construit la bombe, le dilemme du prisonnier devint rapidement une allégorie de la course aux armements, et la théorie des jeux, un outil controversé de la stratégie - alternativement accusée de justifier la course aux armements ou mise en avant comme le seul espoir de l''arrêter. De l''enfance de von Neumann à la crise des fusées de Cuba, Le dilemme du prisonnier retrace ainsi l''histoire d''une idée révolutionnaire - aujourd''hui à l''œuvre en économie, en biologie, en sociologie - qui a été célébrée comme un des temps forts de la pensée du XXe siècle.

In this compelling life of Carl Sagan, award-winning science writer William Poundstone details the transformation of a bookish young astronomer obsessed with life on other worlds into science''s first authentic media superstar. The instantly recognizable Sagan, a fixture on television and a bestselling author, offered the layperson entry into the mysteries of the cosmos and of science in general. To much of the scientific community, however, he was a pariah, a brazen publicity seeker who cared more about his image and his fortune than the advancement of science. Poundstone reveals the seldom-discussed aspects of Sagan''s life, the legitimate and important work of his early scientific career, the almost obsessive capacity to take on endless projects, and the multiple marriages and fractured personal life, in what The New Yorker called an "evenhanded guide" to a great man''s career.

From the author of the mega-selling Big Secrets comes the equally entertaining sequel which unveils the truth about all sorts of things you are never supposed to know. The recipe for Mrs. Fields Cookies... What backward messages on records are really trying to tell you... Frank Sinatra''s real age... Why you can''t counterfeit a lottery ticket... Barbra Streisand''s blue movie... The other Boy Scout rituals... Ingmar Bergman''s soap commercials... The formula for Play-Doh... and more.

A humorous trivia book that has the official and final word on what qualifies as the coolest, the best, the toughest, the most, and of course the ultimate. Readers will enjoy learning which rollercoaster is the best, and what was the most ingenious college prank. Those are only a sample of this trivia book that will entertain all readers.

This sharply intelligent, consistently provocative book takes the reader on an astonishing, thought-provoking voyage into the realm of delightful uncertainty--a world of paradox in which logical argument leads to contradiction and common sense is seemingly rendered irrelevant.

Why is there cocaine in U.S. money? How can you beat the odds at certain casinos? What are some of the loathsome secret rites at college fraternities? How did David Copperfield make the Statue of Liberty disappear? And just who has made deposits in the Nobel Prize sperm bank? All these and many more secrets are revealed in these pages, where knowledge is not only power, it''s fun!