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Apr. 3rd, 2006
Great Amazon Reviews
Apr. 3rd, 2006 01:52 pmI was entertained to see that Amazon now has 45 reviews for the Rand Corporation's A Million Random Digits With 100,000 Normal Deviates.
"However, we should all be concerned about the fact that these particular number sequences are now all "copyrighted material". Rand has taken all the really excellent random sequences for themselves!"
"I am still trying to figure out what to do with these Gaussian deviates. I may try to sell them on e-bay."
"First spongebob, now this - the sinister homo-erotic subtexts will do nothing but corrupt the youth."
"To summarize my thoughts on this book, a quote from my six year old daughter fits best: "Daddy, I didn't like it. The results in this [book] do not tell us anything about transposed digits or other self-canceling errors." She was nearly in tears."
"The book is a promising reference concept, but the execution is somewhat sloppy. Whatever algorithm they used was not fully tested. The bulk of each page seems random enough. However at the lower left and lower right of alternate pages, the number is found to increment directly."
"...these random digits are just too old fashioned. I get a feel for the 40s and what life might have been like, but I felt it lacked that "fundamental truth" that would allow this book to span generations to come. In todays world of global communications, econmic uncertainty, terrorism and preemptive wars, I think we all could have used a few negative numbers to really drive the point home. I mean even a few more zeros would have helped."
"If you liked Finnegan's Wake, you'll love this."
"However, we should all be concerned about the fact that these particular number sequences are now all "copyrighted material". Rand has taken all the really excellent random sequences for themselves!"
"I am still trying to figure out what to do with these Gaussian deviates. I may try to sell them on e-bay."
"First spongebob, now this - the sinister homo-erotic subtexts will do nothing but corrupt the youth."
"To summarize my thoughts on this book, a quote from my six year old daughter fits best: "Daddy, I didn't like it. The results in this [book] do not tell us anything about transposed digits or other self-canceling errors." She was nearly in tears."
"The book is a promising reference concept, but the execution is somewhat sloppy. Whatever algorithm they used was not fully tested. The bulk of each page seems random enough. However at the lower left and lower right of alternate pages, the number is found to increment directly."
"...these random digits are just too old fashioned. I get a feel for the 40s and what life might have been like, but I felt it lacked that "fundamental truth" that would allow this book to span generations to come. In todays world of global communications, econmic uncertainty, terrorism and preemptive wars, I think we all could have used a few negative numbers to really drive the point home. I mean even a few more zeros would have helped."
"If you liked Finnegan's Wake, you'll love this."
