Despite the temptation to be cynical, the author of this timely and excellent work cautions the reader against reacting in such a way to statistics. His detective work in exposing the spurious use of statistics is essential to constructive social science. In Damned Lies and Statistics , he shows how statistics are manipulated, mismanaged, misrepresented, and massaged by officials and other powerful groups to promote their agendas. In our era, numbers are as much a staple of political debates as stories.
Startling statistics shape our thinking about social issues.
But all too often, these numbers are wrong. This book is a lively guide to spotting bad statistics and learning to think critically about these influential numbers. Damned Lies and Statistics is essential reading for everyone who reads or listens to the news, for students, and for anyone who relies on statistical information to understand social problems. Joel Best bases his discussion on a wide assortment of intriguing contemporary issues that have garnered much recent media attention, including abortion, cyberporn, homelessness, the Million Man March, teen suicide, the U.S. census, and much more. Using examples from the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other major newspapers and television programs, he unravels many fascinating examples of the use, misuse, and abuse of statistical information.