Reading Between the Numbers: Statistical Thinking in Everyday Life

This quirky, fast-paced excursion through the world of statistics brings basic statistical concepts down to earth for general readers by showing how statistics are applied in our everyday lives. Drawing on such diverse examples as how pills are manufactured, elections are forecast, and chess tournaments are structured, psychologist Joseph Tal familiarizes readers with variables, means, medians, scales of measurement, sampling, estimating, and other stock-in-trade tools of the statistician. An unusually lively, informal review of statistical concepts Reading Between the Numbers:
• Features dozens of fascinating, often whimsical examples drawn from real life and literature, and 100 vivid graphs and tables
• Makes statistics fun and easy for general readers interested in numbers
• Is the ideal quick-study guide for those who need to learn statistical methods for their jobs
• Focuses on the psychology behind statistics, rather than problem-solving • Is based on the author’s popular professional workshops and seminars

Joseph Tal, Ph.D. is Managing Director of TechnoStat Ltd., a company based in Israel that provides statistical services for clinical trials, marketing research and industrial engineering. He also conducts a popular series of statistics workshops for non-statisticians in Israel and England. Dr. Tal has worked as a statistician and clinical psychologist and has taught both at Northwestern University.