{"product_id":"squares-and-sharps-suckers-and-sharks-the-science-psychology-philosophy-of-gambling-9780857304841","title":"Squares and Sharps, Suckers and Sharks: The Science, Psychology \u0026 Philosophy of Gambling","description":"People have been gambling, in one form or another, for as long as history itself. Why? Money, entertainment, escape and a desire to win are all traditional explanations. Arguably, however, these are secondary considerations to a higher order purpose: a craving for control. Gambling offers a means of gaining authority over the unknown, granting us a sense of control over uncertainty. Almost always that sense is illusory - gambling, including betting and investing, is essentially random - yet for many it is nonetheless profoundly rewarding. This book attempts to explore the reasons why. Along the way, it examines: the science of probability and uncertainty; why gambling is often condemned; the difference between expectation and utility; the irrationality of human beings; evolutionary perspectives on gambling; luck and skill; market efficiency and the wisdom of crowds; why winners take all; cheating; why the process matters more than the outcome.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoseph Buchdahl runs the website Sports-Tipsters.co.uk, independently verifying online sports betting advisory services to provide a measure of quality control and a means of demonstrating transparency, validity and reliability for a sports tipping industry that is otherwise unregulated. He is the author of Squares \u0026amp; Sharps, Suckers \u0026amp; Sharks, How To Find a Black Cat in a Coal Cellar and the perennial bestseller Fixed Odds Sports Betting, all published by High Stakes Publishing.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"High Stakes","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50862226276626,"sku":"9780857304841","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_47583927-b306-4c25-b3b7-4bb78759ee7f.jpg?v=1737617477","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/squares-and-sharps-suckers-and-sharks-the-science-psychology-philosophy-of-gambling-9780857304841","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}