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The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus - December 2023 Book Group discussion thread

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McGoohan
McGoohan
Dec 2023
8:40am, 4 Dec 2023
53,412 posts
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McGoohan
Hannah Fry and Thomas Oleron Evans have provided a book of mathematical and scientific proofs for the existence of Santa Claus. Not only that, but it's the December Fetcland Book Group choice as chosen by Serens-Dippers. It's a Christmas miracle!
westmoors
westmoors
Dec 2023
9:14am, 4 Dec 2023
7,956 posts
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westmoors
Absolutely loved this, then again, I love maths and logic. Thought it was presented in a very readable and humourous manner. Read it in just two sittings with a smile on my face throughout. However, I doubt I'll put any of the suggestions into practice as family Christmases are a thing of the past.
McGoohan
McGoohan
Dec 2023
9:16am, 4 Dec 2023
53,416 posts
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McGoohan
And a score of 10/10? This is very encouraging :-)
McGoohan
McGoohan
Dec 2023
8:53am, 9 Dec 2023
53,439 posts
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McGoohan
Right-o. I finished this last night.

I'd started quite enthusiastically and thought I was going to enjoy it but for such a short book it rapidly became a bit of a slog. My problem is, I think, that I would quite enjoy a book applying maths and mathematical modelling to everyday situations but the Christmas elements felt really forced. I ended up skimming the chapters a bit once I was about halfway through.

Sorry, didnae like it very much: I've given it a 5
westmoors
westmoors
Dec 2023
11:32am, 9 Dec 2023
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westmoors
But many of the elements weren't necessarily Christmas - wrapping presents, playing monopoly.
LindsD
LindsD
Dec 2023
3:17pm, 9 Dec 2023
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LindsD
I said on the main thread I shouldn't have bought this and I was right. I don't like non-fiction much at all. I just don't find it engrossing and I cba with it. I've got at least two books on the go that I've been reading for a year. So.... I was just very meh about this. It's me, not the book. It's just not the book for me. I found it smug and the jollity was annoying. I knew most of the maths and the bits I didn't know I didn't want to know. The only bit I found a bit diverting was the Monopoly bit as I've often wondered about that. I gave it a six. I wish I'd bought a real copy instead of Kindle because then at least I could pass it on. :(
Ding Dong Daisy
Ding Dong Daisy
Dec 2023
9:22pm, 23 Dec 2023
39,373 posts
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Ding Dong Daisy
I'm glad I only bought a 2nd hand copy. I started off expecting to enjoy it (I'm a fan of Hannah Fry) but as it wore on it simply reinforced to me that I'm not a mathematician at heart. I got bored quite quickly :-( 4/10 from me.
Columba
Columba
Dec 2023
12:16pm, 30 Dec 2023
22,389 posts
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Columba
At first I got rather annoyed by this book (stereotype people such as Aunt Hilda being rich but mean, Grandma having a house which is cold and smells of cats) but then decided to meet it on its own terms, and enjoyed the bizarre applications of maths to Christmas-related 'problems' particularly the ingenious analysis of Monopoly.
Columba
Columba
Dec 2023
12:29pm, 30 Dec 2023
22,390 posts
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Columba
(Having read back): I'm not a mathematician either, and I skimmed over the more esoteric formulae but still enjoyed the general idea. I shan't keep the book, though. Thought of sending it on to Middle Son, whose degree is in maths, but he probably wouldn't read it.

I also liked the introduction of the Liar's Paradox, which goes right back to the ancient Greek philosophers.

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Maintained by McGoohan
Hannah Fry and Thomas Oleron Evans have provided a book of mathematical and scientific proofs for the existence of Santa Claus. Not only that, but it's the December Fetcland Book Group choice as chosen by Serens-Dippers. It's a Christmas miracle!
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