Why Do Buses Come in Threes: The Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life

Be the first to write a review
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up in Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Paperback
$11.99
BN.com price
$15.95 List Price (Save 25%)
Marketplace (New and Used)
from
$1.07
$15.95 List Price (Save 93%)
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
All (16)  
Used (9)  
New (7)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 2
Showing 1 – 10 of 16 (2 pages)
$1.07
(Save 93%)
GICW Books
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(724)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good
Sound copy, mild reading wear. May have scuffs . May have some notes, highlighting or underlining. Purchasing this item helps us provide vocational opportunities to people with ... barriers to employment. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Hillsboro, OR

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$1.99
(Save 88%)
MotorCityBooks
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(5055)

Condition: Acceptable
With pride from Motor City. All books guaranteed. Best Service, Best Prices.

Ships from: Brownstown, MI

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$2.50
(Save 84%)
Campus_Bookstore
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(308)

Condition: Good
Used - Good Minor cover wear. 1st Edition May contain highlighting/underlining/notes/etc. May have used stickers on cover. Ships same or next day. Expedited shipping takes 2-3 ... business days; standard shipping takes 4-14 business days. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Fayetteville, AR

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$3.53
(Save 78%)
New Chapter Recycling
Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(3302)

Condition: Very Good

Ships from: Lakewood, WA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$3.99
(Save 75%)
Book Closeouts
Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(9676)

Condition: Like New
GREAT Bargain Book Deal - like new - some may have small remainder mark - Ships out by NEXT Business Day - 100% Satisfaction Guarantee!

Ships from: Buffalo, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$4.43
(Save 72%)
Extremely_Reliable
Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(3234)

Condition: Good
Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.

Ships from: Richmond, TX

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$5.48
(Save 66%)
u-pick
Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(240)

Condition: New
2000 Paperback New

Ships from: san francisco, CA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$7.98
(Save 50%)
Textbookcenter.com
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(46121)

Condition: Very Good
SHIPS FAST! via UPS(AK/HI Priority Mail) within 24 hrs/ used sticker/some hilite

Ships from: Columbia, MO

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$10.77
(Save 32%)
SuperBookDeals-
Seller since 2008

Feedback rating:

(14131)

Condition: New
Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.

Ships from: South Bend, IN

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
$10.78
(Save 32%)
PaperbackshopUS
Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(4803)

Condition: New
Shipped from US in 4 to 14 business days. Established seller since 2000

Ships from: Aurora, IL

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 2
Showing 1 – 10 of 16 (2 pages)
Close
Sort by

Overview

"Deals in a very entertaining way with problems in normal life related to mathematics, luck, coincidence, gambling."—The Independent (London)

Why do your chances of winning the lottery increase if you buy your ticket on Friday? Why do traffic lights always seem to be red when you're in a hurry? Is bad luck just chance, or can it be explained?

The intriguing answers to these and other questions about the curiosities of everyday life can be found in this delightfully irreverent and highly informative book. Why Do Buses Come in Threes? explains how math and the laws of probability are constantly at work in our lives, ...

See more details below
Sending request ...

More About This Book

Overview

"Deals in a very entertaining way with problems in normal life related to mathematics, luck, coincidence, gambling."—The Independent (London)

Why do your chances of winning the lottery increase if you buy your ticket on Friday? Why do traffic lights always seem to be red when you're in a hurry? Is bad luck just chance, or can it be explained?

The intriguing answers to these and other questions about the curiosities of everyday life can be found in this delightfully irreverent and highly informative book. Why Do Buses Come in Threes? explains how math and the laws of probability are constantly at work in our lives, affecting everything we do, from getting a date to catching a bus to cooking dinner. With great humor and a genuine love for the subject, Rob Eastaway and Jeremy Wyndham present solutions to such conundrums as how fast one should run in the rain to stay dry and who was the greatest sportsman of all time.Discover the mathematical explanations for the strange coincidence of two.

Presidents dying on July 4, the uncanny "accuracy" of horoscopes, and other not-so-coincidental coincidences. Eastaway and Wyndham also reveal how television ratings work, which numbers are more likely to be big winners in the lottery, and why bad things, just like buses, always seem to happen in threes.

Whether you have a degree in astrophysics or haven't touched a math problem since high school, this book sends you on a fascinating journey through the logic of life where Newton's laws explain bar fights, exploding rabbit populations, and why showers always run either too hot or too cold. Why Do Buses Come in Threes? is a delightfully entertaining ride that reveals the relevance of math in absolutely everything we do.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780471379072
  • Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
  • Publication date: 3/28/2000
  • Edition number: 1
  • Pages: 176
  • Sales rank: 833,803
  • Product dimensions: 6.14 (w) x 9.21 (h) x 0.36 (d)

Meet the Author

ROB EASTAWAY is a freelance writer and lecturer. His books include The Guinness Book of Mindbenders and What Is a Googly?
JEREMY WYNDHAM, Ph.D., runs a market research company. He has a Ph.D. in physics and was a junior international bridge player.

Table of Contents

Why Can't I Find a Four-leafed Clover?: Links between Nature and Mathematics.

Which Way Should I Go?: From Postmen to Taxi Drivers.

How Many People Watch Friends?: Most Public Statistics Come from Surveys, But How Reliable are They?

Why Do Clever People Get Things Wrong?: Sometimes Experience and Intelligence Can Be a Disadvantage.

What's the Best Bet?: Lotteries, Horses and Casinos All Offer the Chance of a Big Prize.

How Do You Explain a Coincidence?: Coincidences Aren't as Surprising as You Would Think.

What's the Best View of the Statue of Liberty?: Everyday Geometries, from Snooker to Statues.

How Do You Keep a Secret?: Code-making and Breaking Isn't Just for Spies.

Why Do Buses Come in Threes?: Travelling without a Car Leads to All Sorts of Conundrums.

What's the Best Way to Cut a Cake?: Why Four O'Clock Can Be the Time for Some Mathematical Headaches.

How Can I Win without Cheating?: Almost Everything in Life Can Be Analysed as a Game.

Who's the Best Player in the World?: The Mathematics Behind Sports Rankings.

What Happened to Chapter 13?: Can Bad Luck Be Explained?

Whodunnit?: Everyday Logic, From Murder Mysteries to Political Statistics.

Why Am I Always in Traffic Jams?: Motorways, Escalators and Supermarkets All Have One Thing in Common: Queues.

Why are Showers Always Too Hot or Cold?: From Squealing Microphones to Population Explosions.

How Can I Get the Meal Ready on Time?: Critical Paths and Other Scheduling Problems.

How Can I Entertain the Kids?: Numbers Can Be Magic.

References.

Index.

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

Sort by: Showing 1 Customer Review

  • Posted July 23, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    9780809058402 9780805072549 9780471176619 9780679738077 9781861056252

    An entertaining discussion of mathematical curiosities.

    Rob Eastaway and Jeremy Wyndham's Why do buses come in threes?: The Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life describes how mathematics can be used to analyze situations in everyday life in a manner that is accessible to a high school student who has completed courses in algebra and geometry. Readers of popularizations of mathematics will find much that is familiar here. However, there are some notable exceptions, notably negative feedback mechanisms, queueing theory, and the use of critical paths in scheduling. Other topics include Fibonacci numbers, graph theory, statistics and polling, probability (as it relates to gambling, coincidences, and bad luck), cryptography, game theory, the use of geometry and trigonometry in everyday life, sports rankings, the use of logic in everyday life, and the role of mathematics in magic. The authors mean to entertain rather than explain the underlying mathematics. Formulas are presented rather than derived. Consequently, those readers with a deep knowledge of mathematics may find the book frustrating at times. However, the authors provide a list of references so that interested readers can explore the topics further. Laypeople will find the book accessible and entertaining. This is evident from the start as the authors demonstrate why it is difficult to find a four-leaf clover using Fibonacci numbers. Other mathematical topics are also introduced through examples. For instance, game theory is introduced via a discussion of two teenagers who want to date the same girl and negative feedback mechanisms are introduced through a discussion of why it is difficult to properly adjust the temperature of your shower. The examples upon which the authors draw are often visual, making them easy for readers to understand. The authors' exposition, which is supplemented by humorous illustrations by Barbara Shore, is clear. One exception is their discussion of the 1948 presidential election results in the United States. Polls preceding the election predicted that Thomas E. Dewey, the Republican governor of New York, was likely to win the election. On election day, as the authors state, Truman won by a margin of more than two million votes. However, the percentages they give for the election are incorrect, so it looks like Truman actually did worse in the election than in the polls. In reality, Truman won 49.55% of the vote while Dewey won 45.07% of the vote. State's Rights Party (Dixiecrat) candidate Strom Thurmond (2.41%) and Progressive Party candidate Henry Wallace (2.37%) accounted for most of the other votes. The authors give a percentage for independent, but it is not clear whether they are referring to Strom Thurmond (who won four southern states) or all the candidates other than Truman and Dewey. The only other error I found was a typo that proved inconsequential. Reading this book will give you a sense of why it is helpful to understand mathematics in your everyday life, particularly when dealing with people who may be unscrupulous such as marketers or politicians. Moreover, the authors will keep you entertained while you learn.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Sort by: Showing 1 Customer Review
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit