Damned lies and statistics: untangling numbers from the media, politicians, and activists

Description

Introduction : the worst social statistic ever -- The importance of social statistics -- Soft facts : sources of bad statistics -- Mutant statistics : methods for mangling numbers -- Apples and oranges : inappropriate comparisons -- Stat wars : conflicts over social statistics -- Thinking about social statistics : the critical approach.;"Here, by popular demand, is the updated edition to Joel Best's classic guide to understanding how numbers can confuse us. In his new afterword, Best uses examples from recent policy debates to reflect on the challenges to improving statistical literacy. Since its publication ten years ago, Damned Lies and Statistics has emerged as the go-to handbook for spotting bad statistics and learning to think critically about these influential numbers."--Jacket. Introduction : the worst social statistic ever -- The importance of social statistics -- Soft facts : sources of bad statistics -- Mutant statistics : methods for mangling numbers -- Apples and oranges : inappropriate comparisons -- Stat wars : conflicts over social statistics -- Thinking about social statistics : the critical approach.