tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post7053328485435862182..comments2024-03-10T05:26:42.148-04:00Comments on My Biased Coin: Valiant's Book Out: Probably Approximately CorrectMichael Mitzenmacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738274256402616703noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-50249222949568400952013-09-24T17:15:06.698-04:002013-09-24T17:15:06.698-04:00I bought it at a bookstore because the title seeme...I bought it at a bookstore because the title seemed interesting, I love technical reading and thought it was a scientific novel-like book... I agreed with everything except the atheistic outlook that was a bit too overly aggressive; if you don't believe then keep it to yourself, especially in science.<br />Other than that it was an incredible read that I enjoyed, having learned more about Turing, algorithms, and computer science than ever before in my life. It was only afterward that it dawned on me that Probably Approximately Correct (PAC) is an actual model for machine learning... wow... he made it so simple to understand.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-64481996486285502612013-06-22T23:46:28.582-04:002013-06-22T23:46:28.582-04:00I'm very tempted to buy this book! I just watc...I'm very tempted to buy this book! I just watched the Turing Award lecture and found the topic fascinating.<br /><br />The way in which theoretical computer science seems to pervade so many feels on a very deep level makes it seem so profound to me. I wish the average person was schooled more in the basic concepts so that I could bring up these ideas at dinner tables which talk turns to evolution, cosmology, cognitive science etc. etc.Will Sewellhttp://willsewell.namenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-87131276848281865012013-06-18T16:46:07.996-04:002013-06-18T16:46:07.996-04:00Fair question. When I link to a book via Amazon, ...Fair question. When I link to a book via Amazon, Amazon ends up giving a small % back to me. It comes from Amazon; as far as I know, Les is unaffected. (He gets whatever his contract says from the price Amazon pays the publisher.) Michael Mitzenmacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02161161032642563814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-10845889723494933882013-06-17T12:50:21.082-04:002013-06-17T12:50:21.082-04:00Money question: when someone purchases the book vi...Money question: when someone purchases the book via the amazon link on your web page, do you get a cut? If so, where does that cut come from? The publisher? Amazon? Les V.'s royalties? <br /><br />(Just to be clear: I am honestly curious about the process -- I think it's totally reasonable for you to have a link off your blog post to the Amazon page.) <br /><br />The answer will affect my behavior in the following way: if Les's royalties are in any way decreased, I will buy the book via other channels. If not, I may use the link on your web page.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-40663126326236735782013-06-10T13:38:10.616-04:002013-06-10T13:38:10.616-04:00In the basket!In the basket!Michele Filanninohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16791100144449477090noreply@blogger.com