Escape From Model Land

Download or read book Escape from Model Land written by Erica Thompson and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2022-12-06 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why mathematical models are so often wrong, and how we can make better decisions by accepting their limits Whether we are worried about the spread of COVID-19 or making a corporate budget, we depend on mathematical models to help us understand the world around us every day. But models aren't a mirror of reality. In fact, they are fantasies, where everything works out perfectly, every time. And relying on them too heavily can hurt us. In Escape from Model Land, statistician Erica Thompson illuminates the hidden dangers of models. She demonstrates how models reflect the biases, perspectives, and expectations of their creators. Thompson shows us why understanding the limits of models is vital to using them well. A deeper meditation on the role of mathematics, this is an essential book for helping us avoid either confusing the map with the territory or throwing away the map completely, instead pointing to more nuanced ways to Escape from Model Land.