How to Lie with Statistics Reviewed
I really enjoyed the book and I thought that the material was well presented and well researched. Darrell Huff seems to be exceedingly versed and extremely knowledgeable in statistics. Despite that, he does a great job at making the material easy to understand and follow without sounding condescending or delving into too much statistical jargon. The majority of material in the book deals with how statistics are sometimes used to deceive people and distort data for cynical purposes. Each chapter deals with a different method of how someone might mislead or fool others with statistics and with each method the author gives many examples and he thoroughly explains each one and how they are deceptive. Also, he uses some wonderful illustrations that demonstrate the different types of deceptive line and bar graphs. He uses these illustrations in order for the reader to better visualize exactly what he is trying to convey. The only downside to the book that I could think of, if you could even call it a downside, more like a drawback, is that it is rather outdated. A lot of his examples come from articles that were in some very highly regarded magazines at that time, and even now, such as Time, Harpers, Literary Digest, and Fortune. Even so, most of the examples are very old and difficult to completely put into perspective because they deal with things that are much different now then they were then. Nevertheless, the issues and subject matter presented in the book are still very relevant today as they were back then, seeing as some of the same deceptive statistics that are described in the book are still being used today, even among a few of the more reputable news media outlets on TV and in print. The last chapter is probably the most important because it gives the reader some worthy ammunition for recognizing and refuting questionable or suspicious statistical claims, i.e., the author goes back and tackles each topic in order to give the reader some tools to help spot and properly question statistics that are intentionally or inadvertently dubious. I highly recommend for everyone to read this book because it teaches an especially valuable lesson of why it is important to always be skeptical of statistical claims no matter where they come from.
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How to Lie with Statistics Feature Guide
- ISBN13: 9780393310726
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
How to Lie with Statistics Overview
Darrell Huff runs the gamut of every popularly used type of statistic, probes such things as the sample study, the tabulation method, the interview technique, or the way the results are derived from the figures, and points up the countless number of dodges which are used to fool rather than inform.
Specifications for How to Lie with Statistics
“There is terror in numbers,” writes Darrell Huff in How to Lie with Statistics. And nowhere does this terror translate to blind acceptance of authority more than in the slippery world of averages, correlations, graphs, and trends. Huff sought to break through “the daze that follows the collision of statistics with the human mind” with this slim volume, first published in 1954. The book remains relevant as a wake-up call for people unaccustomed to examining the endless flow of numbers pouring from Wall Street, Madison Avenue, and everywhere else someone has an axe to grind, a point to prove, or a product to sell. “The secret language of statistics, so appealing in a fact-minded culture, is employed to sensationalize, inflate, confuse, and oversimplify,” warns Huff.
Although many of the examples used in the book are charmingly dated, the cautions are timeless. Statistics are rife with opportunities for misuse, from “gee-whiz graphs” that add nonexistent drama to trends, to “results” detached from their method and meaning, to statistics’ ultimate bugaboo–faulty cause-and-effect reasoning. Huff’s tone is tolerant and amused, but no-nonsense. Like a lecturing father, he expects you to learn something useful from the book, and start applying it every day. Never be a sucker again, he cries!
Even if you can’t find a source of demonstrable bias, allow yourself some degree of skepticism about the results as long as there is a possibility of bias somewhere. There always is.
Read How to Lie with Statistics. Whether you encounter statistics at work, at school, or in advertising, you’ll remember its simple lessons. Don’t be terrorized by numbers, Huff implores. “The fact is that, despite its mathematical base, statistics is as much an art as it is a science.” –Therese Littleton
Best Buy How to Lie with Statistics :Customer Reviews
Brevity is the soul… – J. A. Topps – (Washingtonville, NY)
I got this book for a course in college back in the late 60’s. I thought it was a great book then and I believe it is even more important today. We are bombarded with stats every day in every way. This little book helps cut through the lies and deceit that masquerade as fact today. Whether it’s in a contracted poll or sifting through data supplied by the government, stats are used to lead us in one direction or another. Get this little gem and enjoy the old-fashioned graphics and the simple message. How to Lie With Statistics is a keeper. I lent my copy to a physician years ago and have regretted it ever since. He kept it and moved from the area. Argh.
Not mind blowing at all – Straddle1985 – Belgium
Maybe I expected too much from this book. I thought this book could give me more insight into the dangers of statistical interpretations or the wrongful use of statistics. This book didn’t help me at all with that. It’s all very (very) basic stuff people should watch out for, when using statistics. Most of this I already knew. I think for anybody who has already red a book from Nicholas Taleb (or anything alike) this book will not present any new material.
To people completely new to statistics, this book might be helpfull, but to those who frequently use statistics for their jobs or in their free time, this book won’t add any value. There are much better books on statistics out there.
Classic intro to Statistics – Patrick T. Peterson –
Love this little book. I recommend it to anyone starting to study statistics, or to arm themselves as a citizen or a consumer. Fun, easy to read and very important. I first read it as a supplement to my college statistics class over 35 years ago and have read it at least a couple times since. It’s timeless.
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