www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393310728/qid=974189709/sr=1-2/102-9687828-6208930
Learning has never been so much fun, in our 40 Standard Deviants store. Our Customers' Advice See what customers recommend in addition to, or instead of, the product on this page. 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. 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. Like a lecturing father, he expects you to learn something useful from the book, and start applying it every day. 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. Whether you encounter statistics at work, at school, or in advertising, you'll remember its simple lessons. A 1954 classic that continues to dispel false beliefs and inform the statistically naive. Huff's direct and witty style exposes how advertisers, government and the media mislead their audiences through the misuse of statistics. Huff then explains how the reader can see through the smoke and mirrors to get to the real meaning--if any--of what is presented. The book is clearly written and is understandable to a reader without a mathematics or statistics background. At only one hundred and forty two pages the book is a quick and easy read. The many copious examples were current at the time of writing, but are extremely dated now. Depending on the readers attitude this may be distracting, or faintly amusing. The advanced age of the examples does not make the text any harder to understand. While the examples are dated, the concepts appear to be timeless. The same statistical manipulations still seem to be going on nearly fifty years later. The Author covers a wide range of statistical errors, or abuse. All of the types of errors will be familiar to anyone who pays attention to the news, or has seen an advertisement that uses numbers. How to Lie with Statistics gives the reader the knowledge to detect common statistical skulduggery. If this knowledge were more widely spread, perhaps advertisers, political spinmiesters and sloppy journalists would not be able to get away with that sort of abuse. This little book, which you can read in an afternoon, was written in the 50's and is *still* the definitive bible on how statistics can be misused. It's fun to read, too, and I laughed out loud a number of times while reading it. Sad to say, Huff's examples from the 50's look just like the crap we get shoved at us today. The book only costs about $5, and from it you'll learn as much as an entire college course. If I had to throw away all my books and could only keep a dozen, this would be one of the keepers. My advice, Read This Book and learn to see beyond the faulty studies and conclusions still used to manipulate us for other's gain! Yes No 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 5 out of 5 stars An Entertaining Primer on the Validity of Statistics, January 9, 2004 Reviewer: 78 John Nolley II (see more about me) from Blacksburg, VA United States Although "How to Lie with Statistics" is a bit dated (having been written in the 1950's), the principles it puts forth are still valid today--if not moreso than ever--and the material is delivered in clear, concise, and even entertaining anecdotes and illustrations. How often do you hear statistics bandied about in the media or used to try to prove some special-interest point? This book isn't truly a guide on how to lie with statistics, but it is an excellent text that informs the reader both how others will lie to them using statistics and on how to interpret the validity of purported statistical data. Yes No 2 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 5 out of 5 stars Clear, Concise, and Fun, October 30, 2003 Reviewer: Charles from Fort Collins, CO How to Lie with Statistics is a fun and informative look at the was in which statisticians try to decieve the public with misleading statistics. Every chapter contains plenty of real-world examles that provide excellent insight into the concepts. The book is a quick read (only 142 pages) and it holds the reader's attention; How to Lie with Statistics is perfect for the beginning statistics student or anyone who wants to learn how they can be decieved through the manipulation of numbers. The reading level and math make this more appropriate for high school or college students than for younger students. Although the writing is a little dated (1954), it is still clear and highly relevant. Overall, this is a highly recommended and worthwhile read. Yes No 2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 5 out of 5 stars Fun to read, a lot to learn for many, August 21, 2003 Reviewer: 79 K. Mert Cubukcu (see more about me) from Columbus, Ohio United States If you are a visual person -who prefers graphics and charts to text- and have taken no statistics course in your entire life, this book is a perfect fit for you. If you are a well-educated statistician, but do not know how to apply your tricks in advertisement or publishing industry, the book will work for you, too. Finally, if you are graphic designer working for one of the magazines or creating charts for corporate reports, you can also have a lot of fun by just realizing that now a lot of people know about your tricks. Although the book is written more than 50 years ago, it is still very up-to-date, due to the concept it is targeting: people are still trying to make you believe in things that do not exist by using fancy charts and unrealistically accurate numbers. Customers who bought titles by Darrell Huff also bought titles by these authors: * 81 John Allen Paulos * 82 Woollcott Smith * 83 Jon Koomey * 84 Gerald E.
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