First Sentence

"Let us start this historical introduction with a quote from the superb review article On the Wonderful World of Random Walks by E. W. Montroll and M. F. Shlesinger [116], which also contains a more detailed historical account of the development of probability theory: Since traveling was onerous (and expensive), and eating, hunting and wenching generally did not fill the 17th century gentleman's day, two possibilities remained to occupy the empty hours, praying and gambling; many preferred the latter."