The Numbers Game The Commonsense Guide to Understanding Numbers in the News,in Politics, and inLife

by Blastland, Michael; Dilnot, Andrew

• ISBN13: 9781592404230
• ISBN10: 1592404235
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-12-26
• Publisher: Gotham

Summary

"Wherever numbers are used - or abused - there are simple tricks and techniques to cut through the bad and turn the good to our advantage. With a wealth of examples, from tax and spending, crime and climate, to the duration of a pregnancy or counting fish, you'll be amused, inspired, and empowered." "The radical aim of The Numbers Game is to unravel the mysterious use of numbers in the news by showing us how much we already know. Blastland and Dilnot give us practical ways of using our knowledge to become cannier consumers of the media. Each concise chapter takes on a different theme, including size, chance, averages, targets, risk, measurement, and data, presenting each as a memorable and entertaining story. Published in the United Kingdom to great critical acclaim as The Tiger That Isn't, the book is now comprehensively updated and adapted specifically for American readers."--BOOK JACKET.

Author Biography

Michael Blastland is a writer, broadcaster, and the creator of More or Less, the BBC Radio 4 show.

Andrew Dilnot, the former presenter on the show, is the principal of St. Hugh-'s College, Oxford, and was the director of England-'s Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Table of Contents

Counting: Use Strawberry Jam	p. 1
Size: It's Personal	p. 12
Chance: The Tiger That Isn't	p. 31
Up and Down: A Man and His Dog	p. 41
Averages: The White Rainbow	p. 59
Performance: The Whole Elephant	p. 78
Risk: Bring Home the Bacon	p. 96
Sampling: Drinking from a Fire Hose	p. 111
Data: Know the Unknowns	p. 132
Shock Figures: Wayward Tee Shots	p. 150
Comparison: Mind the Gap	p. 161
Causation: Think Twice	p. 182
Further Reading	p. 199
Index	p. 203
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.