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Perplexing Paradoxes: Unraveling Enigmas in the World Around Us
Why does it always seem like the elevator is going down when you need to go up? Is it really true that 0.99999 . . . with an infinite number of 9s after the decimal point, is equal to 1? What do tea leaves and river erosion have in common, per Albert Einstein? Does seeing a bed of red flowers help prove that all ravens are black? Can we make sense of a phrase like “this statement is unprovable”?
Exploring these questions and many more, George G. Szpiro guides readers through the puzzling world of paradoxes, from Socratic dialogues to the Monty Hall Problem. Perplexing Paradoxes presents sixty counterintuitive conundrums drawn from diverse areas of thought―not only mathematics, statistics, logic, and philosophy but also social science, physics, politics, and religion. Szpiro offers a brisk history of each paradox, unpacks its inner workings, and considers where one might encounter it in daily life. Ultimately, he argues, paradoxes are not simple brain teasers or abstruse word games―they challenge us to hone our reasoning and become more alert to the flaws in received wisdom and common habits of thought.
Lighthearted, witty, and conversational, Perplexing Paradoxes presents sophisticated material in an accessible way, for all readers interested in the world’s boundless possibilities―and impossibilities.
Exploring these questions and many more, George G. Szpiro guides readers through the puzzling world of paradoxes, from Socratic dialogues to the Monty Hall Problem. Perplexing Paradoxes presents sixty counterintuitive conundrums drawn from diverse areas of thought―not only mathematics, statistics, logic, and philosophy but also social science, physics, politics, and religion. Szpiro offers a brisk history of each paradox, unpacks its inner workings, and considers where one might encounter it in daily life. Ultimately, he argues, paradoxes are not simple brain teasers or abstruse word games―they challenge us to hone our reasoning and become more alert to the flaws in received wisdom and common habits of thought.
Lighthearted, witty, and conversational, Perplexing Paradoxes presents sophisticated material in an accessible way, for all readers interested in the world’s boundless possibilities―and impossibilities.
- GenresPhilosophyNonfiction
360 pages, Hardcover
Published March 26, 2024
17 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
George G. Szpiro
26 books18 followersGeorge G. Szpiro is an Israeli-Swiss applied mathematician and journalist, who has emerged as a writer of popular science books.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 4, 2024
Like wandering a maze—some paths lead to fascination, while others end in frustration...…..
Book Information
Perplexing Paradoxes: Unraveling Enigmas in the World Around Us by George G. Szpirois a 360-page nonfiction book scheduled to be published on March 19, 2024. Thank you to Columbia University Press for providing me with an Advance Readers Copy for review.
Summary
In "Perplexing Paradoxes," George G. Szpiro explores 60 paradoxes spanning mathematics, philosophy, and social sciences. The book provides historical contexts, dissects their complexities, and illustrates their relevance in daily life.
My Thoughts
"Perplexing Paradoxes" by George G. Szpirois looked to be a delightful exploration into the world of quirky contradictions and mind-bending paradoxes, which naturally piqued my interest. However, the book left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed compared to my initial expectations.
The author claims to present complex ideas in an accessible manner, but this accessibility feels inconsistent. While some parts maintain a conversational tone, others dive into dense mathematical or logical explanations that may alienate many readers.
Each chapter follows a similar structure, starting with the introduction of a paradox followed by a brief exclamation (things like “A paradox!” or “Correct? No!”) and then discussion. This formulaic approach makes it easy to navigate through the book, with chapters grouped thematically for added organization but becomes very repetitive.
The quality of the paradoxes themselves varies greatly. Some are genuinely thought-provoking, like the concept of 0.9999999 equaling 1 or why the nighttime sky should be bright but isn’t, while others failed to capture my interest.
"Perplexing Paradoxes" might appeal to those seeking a deep dive into mathematical or logical proofs behind paradoxes, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. Had it not been for the commitment to review, I might not have finished it.
Recommendation
If you're passionate about paradoxes and enjoy digging into intricate mathematical or logical concepts, this book might be a good choice.
Rating
2 Perplexing Stars
Book Information
Perplexing Paradoxes: Unraveling Enigmas in the World Around Us by George G. Szpirois a 360-page nonfiction book scheduled to be published on March 19, 2024. Thank you to Columbia University Press for providing me with an Advance Readers Copy for review.
Summary
In "Perplexing Paradoxes," George G. Szpiro explores 60 paradoxes spanning mathematics, philosophy, and social sciences. The book provides historical contexts, dissects their complexities, and illustrates their relevance in daily life.
My Thoughts
"Perplexing Paradoxes" by George G. Szpirois looked to be a delightful exploration into the world of quirky contradictions and mind-bending paradoxes, which naturally piqued my interest. However, the book left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed compared to my initial expectations.
The author claims to present complex ideas in an accessible manner, but this accessibility feels inconsistent. While some parts maintain a conversational tone, others dive into dense mathematical or logical explanations that may alienate many readers.
Each chapter follows a similar structure, starting with the introduction of a paradox followed by a brief exclamation (things like “A paradox!” or “Correct? No!”) and then discussion. This formulaic approach makes it easy to navigate through the book, with chapters grouped thematically for added organization but becomes very repetitive.
The quality of the paradoxes themselves varies greatly. Some are genuinely thought-provoking, like the concept of 0.9999999 equaling 1 or why the nighttime sky should be bright but isn’t, while others failed to capture my interest.
"Perplexing Paradoxes" might appeal to those seeking a deep dive into mathematical or logical proofs behind paradoxes, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. Had it not been for the commitment to review, I might not have finished it.
Recommendation
If you're passionate about paradoxes and enjoy digging into intricate mathematical or logical concepts, this book might be a good choice.
Rating
2 Perplexing Stars
February 17, 2024
"Perplexing Paradoxes" is a book I had to dip into from time to time. Why? The feature of this book, the formulaic approach to the paradox (presenting a paradox, deciding whether it is paradox and it's discussion) gave the whole presentation and discussion of different paradox great structure, but it got boring for me. I wasn't overwhelmed by the mathematics or the logic, but just like I wouldn't read a recipe book from cover to cover I couldn't read this book in one sitting.
That said, like a recipe book, this makes a good book to come back to from time to time to find out about paradox things that after you've read the explanation don't seem so paradox anymore.
That said, like a recipe book, this makes a good book to come back to from time to time to find out about paradox things that after you've read the explanation don't seem so paradox anymore.
January 24, 2024
Author Szpiro is the pedantic guy you love to hate.
He's a logic of freak.
Some of the paradoxes are remarkable; others are dull.
He sometimes gets mathematical and technical, which may make your eyes roll and flip the page.
Luckily, each paradox he examines is short, so if you're bored, jump to the next one.
3 things I remember learning:
1) Heteronyms: words that have the same spelling but different meanings when they are pronounced differently.
2) The sky is dark at night because the light of many stars has not yet reached us and an infinite number of stars are traveling away from the earth, and their light has shifted to the invisible.
3) In the Northern Hemisphere, the banks on the right sides of rivers tend to be steeper than the left sides. In the Southern Hemisphere, it's reversed. Cool!
Conclusion: it's an interesting book, but it could have been better.
He's a logic of freak.
Some of the paradoxes are remarkable; others are dull.
He sometimes gets mathematical and technical, which may make your eyes roll and flip the page.
Luckily, each paradox he examines is short, so if you're bored, jump to the next one.
3 things I remember learning:
1) Heteronyms: words that have the same spelling but different meanings when they are pronounced differently.
2) The sky is dark at night because the light of many stars has not yet reached us and an infinite number of stars are traveling away from the earth, and their light has shifted to the invisible.
3) In the Northern Hemisphere, the banks on the right sides of rivers tend to be steeper than the left sides. In the Southern Hemisphere, it's reversed. Cool!
Conclusion: it's an interesting book, but it could have been better.
December 8, 2023
It was hard to give a star rating based on overall tone and content as the chapters varied so widely so to get an overall rating, I rated each chapter on a scale of 1 to 5 and calculated a weighted average giving an overall rating of 3 stars. 16 of the stories were 5-star and 13 were 1-star. The best stories were those that I thought were important and when the content was largely qualitative. These were chapters on faith, legal liabilities, and economics. I found the sections on endings, math, and logic to be uninteresting and many of which I did not read to the end. Thank you to Netgalley and Columbia University Press for the advance reader copy.
June 21, 2025
Paradoxes are fun, stimulating little conundrums: do they reveal lapses in our judgment, or flaws with the logical structure of our understanding itself? This book presents sixty paradoxes of both kinds, with accompanying historical context and explanations to resolve them when possible. Not all of the paradoxes herein are equally illuminating, but the range of problems qualitative and quantitative will give all types of readers something to remember.
The work divides paradoxes into twelve groups of five, each sharing a certain quality of subject matter or formulation. The quantitative subjects like mathematics and statistics utilize formal theory to explain their tricks; other subjects like philosophy, linguistics, and media offer competing theories to best explain the seemingly inexplicable. There’s a baseline quality to each entry, as Szpiro promotes each paradox as a worthy subject to consider. That said, the reader will likely favor the more or less formal explanations over the other give how differently they’re explored.
Structurally, the book can be enjoyed in small increments or a binge. From cover to cover, the very brief coverage that each paradox receives means altogether the book can be finished quite quickly. Perhaps this work best functions as a point of reference for the trivia hounds or whimsical thinkers who might want to chat about paradoxes from time to time. The work lacks a compelling through-line message, which may annoy binge readers. But as a compilation of all kinds of logic problems, this is an underrated collection.
The work divides paradoxes into twelve groups of five, each sharing a certain quality of subject matter or formulation. The quantitative subjects like mathematics and statistics utilize formal theory to explain their tricks; other subjects like philosophy, linguistics, and media offer competing theories to best explain the seemingly inexplicable. There’s a baseline quality to each entry, as Szpiro promotes each paradox as a worthy subject to consider. That said, the reader will likely favor the more or less formal explanations over the other give how differently they’re explored.
Structurally, the book can be enjoyed in small increments or a binge. From cover to cover, the very brief coverage that each paradox receives means altogether the book can be finished quite quickly. Perhaps this work best functions as a point of reference for the trivia hounds or whimsical thinkers who might want to chat about paradoxes from time to time. The work lacks a compelling through-line message, which may annoy binge readers. But as a compilation of all kinds of logic problems, this is an underrated collection.
November 14, 2023
A surprisingly zippy exploration of the mind- and reason-bending puzzles that lurk just beneath the surface of "rational" reality. Plumbing the depths of language, logic, economics, and more, Szpiro somehow manages to keep everything engaging and even light while exterminating any notion that we will ever figure it all out. Each paradox is given a brief synopsis followed by the "denouement" in which either the resolution, or at least an elucidation, of the paradox is presented, making for a book easy to nibble from and digest easily.
Perplexing Paradoxes reminds us that paradoxes are not "simply frustrating obstacles to be overcome but rather opportunities to deepen our understanding and appreciation of the complexities of the world." Maddening as they may be at times, paradoxes "remind us that the world is not always as simple as we may think and that there is always more to explore and understand." They remind us of our limits, and in a jaded world, how much we have to look forward to.
Perplexing Paradoxes reminds us that paradoxes are not "simply frustrating obstacles to be overcome but rather opportunities to deepen our understanding and appreciation of the complexities of the world." Maddening as they may be at times, paradoxes "remind us that the world is not always as simple as we may think and that there is always more to explore and understand." They remind us of our limits, and in a jaded world, how much we have to look forward to.
October 27, 2023
The book is a collection of short to very short entries on a large number of paradoxes culled from the internet. Are they as perplexing as the title suggests? A few are, but many are not once you examine them. The author tells us the book was written during the COVID lockdown and frankly, it shows. There is repetition and paradox for the sake of paradox, but the it's an engaging read nonetheless. I went back and forth on it as I read, but at one point I realized I often found myself shouting at the book (in my head), and that kind of engagement doesn't come along often. That puts it above the average read, though not quite perfect, so 4 ouf ot 5.
If you enjoy thinking about paradoxes and would like a collection of them, this is a good place to go. All the usual ones are here, some treated in more depth than others, and despite some shortcomings, I think the book does what is set out to do.
If you enjoy thinking about paradoxes and would like a collection of them, this is a good place to go. All the usual ones are here, some treated in more depth than others, and despite some shortcomings, I think the book does what is set out to do.
Read
March 21, 2024This book in itself was a paradox. It was both confusing and interesting at the same time so I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. Some of the chapters were interesting and quirky and others were so deep into logic and math that even as an engineer I didn't want to read it.
September 5, 2025
Gave it a shot, didn't find it interesting.
December 11, 2023
I enjoyed this book. I appreciate the short and succinct chapters as I was able to learn a lot in a short amount of time. Szpiro showcases each paradox in a thought-provoking way without boring the reader with verbosity. The pictures and figures also added enjoyment in reading, without detracting from the main point and succinctness of this book. I would gladly read a sequel to this book that explores even more "Perplexing Paradoxes".
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews