{"product_id":"finding-x-don-beavers-9798186665199","title":"Finding X: The Mathematics of Better Decisions","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen two smart people look at the same facts and disagree, somebody isn't being stupid or stubborn. They are just solving for a different X.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe've all been there. Staring at an impossible choice-whether to stretch the budget for a dream house, quit a steady job for a risky venture, or simply agree with friends on where to go for vacation. We build the spreadsheets, compile the pros and cons, and gather the data. And yet, the decision just sits there.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhy? Because the hardest part of any decision was never the math. It's finding X.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eFINDING X: The Mathematics of Better Decisions\u003c\/i\u003e, systems engineer and educator Dr. Juan Camilo Avendaño reveals why our hardest choices leave us stuck, and how a handful of simple mathematical principles can set us free. Stripped of complex notation and jargon, this book translates the rigorous disciplines of game theory, optimization, probability, and queueing theory into a practical, five-step method you can use in daily life: Frame, Value, Design, Stress-test, and Evidence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThrough deeply relatable stories-from a couple agonizing over a real-estate bid and two gas station owners trapped in a price war, to a renter fighting a ticking clock and a parent whose chore chart accidentally backfired-you will learn how to: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvoid the \"Flaw of Averages\" and stop building plans that shatter on the first bad day.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaster Optimal Stopping so you know exactly when to stop searching and commit.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEscape the \"Sunk Cost Fallacy\" and leave money that is already gone in the past.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTransform arguments into design problems by uncovering the invisible priorities everyone is trying to protect.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEvaluate risk like a pro, learning the crucial difference between a survivable loss and a game-ending disaster.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eDesigned to be short enough to finish in a weekend but powerful enough to change the rest of your life, \u003ci\u003eFinding X\u003c\/i\u003e is not a book about replacing human judgment with formulas. It is a guide to making your judgment visible, clear, and shared.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStop guessing your way through life's biggest choices. Find X, build the decision, and make the call.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Don Beavers,Camilo Avendano\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798186665199\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Independently Published\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/10\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 140\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.43lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.30d","brand":"Don Beavers","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":49174348824831,"sku":"9798186665199","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/finding-x-don-beavers-9798186665199","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}