Lively books about dull subjects, first installment: Against the Gods

Recently I realized that my favorite type of book is the type that allows me to learn about something I know is important and interesting but that I am prejudiced against as dull. I thought I'd share my impressions of these remarkable books on my blog, hoping that others can similarly expand their horizons without becoming stodgy tweed-wearing professors in the process.

Expecting a book about statistics to be on the deadly end of the dull spectrum, Peter L. Bernstein's Against the Gods sat on my "to read, someday" shelf for quite some time. When I finally did get around to it, though, I found it thoroughly enjoyable. Tracing the history of risk management may not sound scintillating, but in fact the themes it explores are deeply embedded in the very nature of our modern world.

Once I understood the basic premise - that quantifying risk allowed man to step out from the idea that his life was predetermined by the will of the gods - I had a hard time putting it down. Math and statistics have seldom been rendered so approachable. Instead of getting bogged down in equations or detailed explanation, Mr. Bernstein makes the very wise decision to trace the evolution of the concepts behind the science rather than the science itself. The result is a highly readable, deeply profound piece of work that will mess with your frame of reference.