Misused Statistics: Straight Talk for Twisted Numbers (Popular Statistics Series, Vol 5)

This outstanding book;illustrated with over 100 documented, real-world examples of statistical misuse;makes readers aware of the problems inherent to the presentation of such data. Drawing on instances in broad range of disciplines, including government, the media, medicine, economics, demography, sociology, anthropology, science, engineering, and business, it shows general readers and statisticians alike how to think about statistical information critically.

"Outstanding reviews for a classic work that has gone into multiple printings!. . . superb. . . .this book succeeds in what it sets out to do. . ..Its strongest features are the multitude of superb examples, the excellent chapter summaries, the engaging writing style, and the consistent presentation of material at an appropriate level for general readers." ---Journal of the American Statistical Association "delightful. . . .extremely useful: delightful, with lots of everyday examples from media, politicians, elected or appointed officials." ---American Journal of Economics and Sociology "impressive. The examples used. . .are impressive in their clarity and variety. The cumulative effect is a compelling demonstration that the use and misuse of statistics are more widespread and influential in our culture that one might suppose." ---American Journal of Physical Anthropology "well-written. . . .a well-written book emphasizing understanding and reasoning." ---Technometrics "informative. . . .informative and entertaining. . .an excellent resource." ---Contemporary Sociology ." . .the second edition updates much of the earlier material with contemporary examples and includes new misuses that have appeared in the interim." ---ISI Short Book Reviews