People are predictable even when they try not to be. Rock Breaks Scissors shows how to outguess friends, bosses, teachers, competitors, and just about everybody else. Don't like paying bar tabs? Play rock, paper, scissors for it. An outguessing trick will allow you to win as much as 90 percent of the time. How can you spot an inflated expense account? Cheats making up dollars-and-cents amounts display unconscious quirks like overusing strings of descending digits (321). A, B, C, or D? Teachers try to randomize the positions of the correct answers on multiple-choice tests, but most exams show patterns that can help you guess correctly. What are the best lotto numbers to play? Sure, "lucky numbers" are nonsense, but the fact that so many people pick the same numbers gives the savvy player an edge. Can the long-term investor do better than "buy and hold"? Despite the conventional wisdom, the disciplined small investor can beat the market.

This book will show you how. Did you know there's a good chance that your password could be guessed by a hacker in four tries? But you can achieve that elusive ideal, a hack-proof password that's easy to remember. How do tax agencies tell which forms to audit? One line of a tax form is an "honesty test" that can reveal who's doctoring income and expenses. Want an instant way to improve your tennis game? A "secret weapon" will make sure your opponent can't anticipate the next serve. Book jacket.