Download or read book More Damned Lies and Statistics written by Joel Best and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2004-09-06 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this sequel to the acclaimed Damned Lies and Statistics, which the Boston Globe said "deserves a place next to the dictionary on every school, media, and home-office desk," Joel Best continues his straightforward, lively, and humorous account of how statistics are produced, used, and misused by everyone from researchers to journalists. Underlining the importance of critical thinking in all matters numerical, Best illustrates his points with examples of good and bad statistics about such contemporary concerns as school shootings, fatal hospital errors, bullying, teen suicides, deaths at the World Trade Center, college ratings, the risks of divorce, racial profiling, and fatalities caused by falling coconuts. More Damned Lies and Statistics encourages all of us to think in a more sophisticated and skeptical manner about how statistics are used to promote causes, create fear, and advance particular points of view. Best identifies different sorts of numbers that shape how we think about public issues: missing numbers are relevant but overlooked; confusing numbers bewilder when they should inform; scary numbers play to our fears about the present and the future; authoritative numbers demand respect they don’t deserve; magical numbers promise unrealistic, simple solutions to complex problems; and contentious numbers become the focus of data duels and stat wars. The author's use of pertinent, socially important examples documents the life-altering consequences of understanding or misunderstanding statistical information. He demystifies statistical measures by explaining in straightforward prose how decisions are made about what to count and what not to count, what assumptions get made, and which figures are brought to our attention. Best identifies different sorts of numbers that shape how we think about public issues. Entertaining, enlightening, and very timely, this book offers a basis for critical thinking about the numbers we encounter and a reminder that when it comes to the news, people count—in more ways than one.

Download or read book Damned Lies and Statistics written by Joel Best and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2012-08-07 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Lies Damn Lies and Statistics written by Michael Wheeler and published by . This book was released on 1976 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book How to Lie with Statistics written by Darrell Huff and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2010-12-07 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you want to outsmart a crook, learn his tricks—Darrell Huff explains exactly how in the classic How to Lie with Statistics. From distorted graphs and biased samples to misleading averages, there are countless statistical dodges that lend cover to anyone with an ax to grind or a product to sell. With abundant examples and illustrations, Darrell Huff’s lively and engaging primer clarifies the basic principles of statistics and explains how they’re used to present information in honest and not-so-honest ways. Now even more indispensable in our data-driven world than it was when first published, How to Lie with Statistics is the book that generations of readers have relied on to keep from being fooled.

Download or read book Stat Spotting written by Joel Best and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2013-09-14 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This edition updates benchmarks, includes a new chapter on rhetoric, updated a few examples, and thoroughly updated the bibliography.

Download or read book Lies Damned Lies and Science written by Sherry Seethaler and published by FT Press. This book was released on 2009-01-13 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Comprehensive, readable, and replete with current, useful examples, this book provides a much-needed explanation of how to be a critical consumer of the scientific claims we encounter in our everyday lives.” —April Cordero Maskiewicz, Department of Biology, Point Loma Nazarene University “Seethaler’s book helps the reader look inside the workings of science and gain a deeper understanding of the pathway that is followed by a scientific finding—from its beginnings in a research lab to its appearance on the nightly news.” —Jim Slotta, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto “How I wish science was taught this way! Seethaler builds skills for critical thinking and evaluation. The book is rich with examples that not only illustrate her points beautifully, they also make it very interesting and fun to read.” —Julia R. Brown, Director, Targacept, Inc. Don’t Get Hoodwinked! Make Sense of Health and Science News...and Make Smarter Decisions! Every day, there’s a new scientific or health controversy. And every day, it seems as if there’s a new study that contradicts what you heard yesterday. What’s really going on? Who’s telling the truth? Who’s faking it? What do scientists actually know–and what don’t they know? This book will help you cut through the confusion and make sense of it all–even if you’ve never taken a science class! Leading science educator and journalist Dr. Sherry Seethaler reveals how science and health research really work...how to put scientific claims in context and understand the real tradeoffs involved...tell quality research from junk science...discover when someone’s deliberately trying to fool you...and find more information you can trust! Nobody knows what new controversy will erupt tomorrow. But one thing’s for certain: With this book, you’ll know how to figure out the real deal–and make smarter decisions for yourself and your family! Watch the news, and you’ll be overwhelmed by snippets of badly presented science: information that’s incomplete, confusing, contradictory, out-of-context, wrong, or flat-out dishonest. Defend yourself! Dr. Sherry Seethaler gives you a powerful arsenal of tools for making sense of science. You’ll learn how to think more sensibly about everything from mad cow disease to global warming—and how to make better science-related decisions in both your personal life and as a citizen. You’ll begin by understanding how science really works and progresses, and why scientists sometimes disagree. Seethaler helps you assess the possible biases of those who make scientific claims in the media, and place scientific issues in appropriate context, so you can intelligently assess tradeoffs. You’ll learn how to determine whether a new study is really meaningful; uncover the difference between cause and coincidence; figure out which statistics mean something, and which don’t. Seethaler reveals the tricks self-interested players use to mislead and confuse you, and points you to sources of information you can actually rely upon. Her many examples range from genetic engineering of crops to drug treatments for depression...but the techniques she teaches you will be invaluable in understanding any scientific controversy, in any area of science or health. ^ Potions, plots, and personalities: How science progresses, and why scientists sometimes disagree ^ Is it “cause” or merely coincidence? How to tell compelling evidence from a “good story” ^ There are always tradeoffs: How to put science and health claims in context, and understand their real implications ^ All the tricks experts use to fool you, exposed! How to recognize lies, “truthiness,” or pseudo-expertise

Download or read book Lies Damned Lies and Drug War Statistics Second Edition written by Matthew B. Robinson and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 2014-01-01 with total page 330 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Revised and updated edition that analyses how the Office of National Drug Control Policy employs statistics to misleadingly claim the War on Drugs is a success. First published in 2007, Lies, Damned Lies, and Drug War Statistics critically analyzed claims made by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the White House agency of accountability in the nation’s drug war since 1989, as found in the six editions of the annual National Drug Control Strategy between 2000 and 2005. In this revised and updated second edition of their critically acclaimed work, Matthew B. Robinson and Renee G. Scherlen examine seven more recent editions (2006–2012) to once again determine if ONDCP accurately and honestly presents information or intentionally distorts evidence to justify continuing the drug war. They uncover the many ways in which ONDCP manipulates statistics and visually presents that information to the public. Their analysis demonstrates a drug war that consistently fails to reduce drug use, drug fatalities, or illnesses associated with drug use; fails to provide treatment for drug-dependent users; and drives up the prices of drugs. They conclude with policy recommendations for reforming ONDCP’s use of statistics, as well as how the nation fights the war on drugs. Praise for the First Edition “Lies, Damned Lies, and Drug War Statistics is surprisingly easy to read, and Robinson and Scherlen have done a huge favor not only to critics of current drug policy by compiling this damning critique of ONDCP claims, but also to anyone interested in how data is compiled, presented, and misused by bureaucrats attempting to guard their domains. It should be required reading for members of Congress.” — Drug War Chronicle Book Review “The authors have performed a valuable service to our democracy with their meticulous analysis of the White House ONDCP public statements and reports. They have pulled the sheet off what appears to be an official policy of deception using clever and sometimes clumsy attempts at statistical manipulation. This document, at last, gives us a map of the truth.” — Mike Gray, author of Drug Crazy: How We Got into This Mess and How We Can Get Out “Robinson and Scherlen make a valuable contribution to documenting how ONDCP fails to live up to basic standards of accountability and consistency.” — Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director, Drug Policy Alliance

Download or read book Flavor of the Month written by Joel Best and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2006-04-10 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Publisher Description

Download or read book Lies Damned Lies Or Statistics written by Jonathan Poritz and published by . This book was released on 2017-05-13 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An intro to statistics.

Download or read book Everyone s a Winner written by Joel Best and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2011-03-07 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Looks at the increasing abundance of status in our society and considers its effects, including the tendency to split into ever more specific groups to enhance status.

Download or read book The FEAR 19 Pandemic written by Tommy Madison and published by . This book was released on 2020-06 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We have nothing to fear but fear itself. FDRIn this book, author Tommy Madison takes a down to earth look at how the fear of COVID-19 spread faster than the virus itself.Madison explains how the unfortunate convergence of green journalism, hatred of Donald Trump, and an unprecedented moment in time sparked a pandemic of fear, hysteria, and panic that will have long-lasting and far-reaching consequences.He takes us through how the science was manipulated and unmasks the people who spread the misinformation. Lies, damn lies, and fake statistics created a mythical COVID boogie man that was much more dangerous than COVID itself.Instead of "flattening the curve," we began an epic battle with this mythical monster that led to devastating and unnecessary consequences. The book contains evidence that the lockdowns were not only ineffective but hampered the real effort of reducing COVID's ability to spread to our most vulnerable populations.And finally, Madison provides insight on how we can all begin to move forward and recover, so hopefully, we can learn from our mistakes and are not doomed to repeat them.I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them real facts.Abraham Lincoln

Download or read book Common Errors in Statistics and How to Avoid Them written by Phillip I. Good and published by Wiley. This book was released on 2009-10-06 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Praise for the Second Edition "All statistics students and teachers will find in this book a friendly and intelligentguide to . . . applied statistics in practice." —Journal of Applied Statistics ". . . a very engaging and valuable book for all who use statistics in any setting." —CHOICE ". . . a concise guide to the basics of statistics, replete with examples . . . a valuablereference for more advanced statisticians as well." —MAA Reviews Now in its Third Edition, the highly readable Common Errors in Statistics (and How to Avoid Them) continues to serve as a thorough and straightforward discussion of basic statistical methods, presentations, approaches, and modeling techniques. Further enriched with new examples and counterexamples from the latest research as well as added coverage of relevant topics, this new edition of the benchmark book addresses popular mistakes often made in data collection and provides an indispensable guide to accurate statistical analysis and reporting. The authors' emphasis on careful practice, combined with a focus on the development of solutions, reveals the true value of statistics when applied correctly in any area of research. The Third Edition has been considerably expanded and revised to include: A new chapter on data quality assessment A new chapter on correlated data An expanded chapter on data analysis covering categorical and ordinal data, continuous measurements, and time-to-event data, including sections on factorial and crossover designs Revamped exercises with a stronger emphasis on solutions An extended chapter on report preparation New sections on factor analysis as well as Poisson and negative binomial regression Providing valuable, up-to-date information in the same user-friendly format as its predecessor, Common Errors in Statistics (and How to Avoid Them), Third Edition is an excellent book for students and professionals in industry, government, medicine, and the social sciences.

Download or read book Damned Lies and Statistics written by Joel Best and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2012-07-08 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.

Download or read book Upside written by Bradley R.E. Ph.D. Wright and published by Bethany House. This book was released on 2011-07-01 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many Christians have an impending sense of doom about our country and the world. But are their fears based on reality or myth? In this book Wright examines issues of concern to Christians, including poverty, sickness, sexual morality, the environment, and the global church. Did you know that global poverty has been cut in half over the last several decades? That infant deaths have decreased dramatically in recent years? That Christianity is a growing and influential force in Asia and Africa? Maybe the world isn't in a downward spiral after all. In an age of pessimism, this book offers good news to Christian readers looking for glimpses of hope.

Download or read book School Inspection Self Evaluation written by John Macbeath and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2006-09-27 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written for heads and teachers but also containing useful pointers for inspectors, this forward-thinking book examines exactly what the relationship between inspection and self-evaluation means for schools.

Download or read book Effective Writing in Psychology written by Bernard C. Beins and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-11-11 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Master the art of APA-style writing with this newly updated and accessible resource The newly and thoroughly revised Third Edition of Effective Writing in Psychology: Papers, Posters, and Presentations offers compelling and comprehensive guidance to readers who want to create powerful and persuasive prose in a rigorous, scientific, and APA-compliant framework. Distinguished academics and authors Bernard and Agatha Beins walk readers through the foundational and advanced topics they must grasp to generate convincing and credible APA-stye writing. The book combines an accessible and approachable guide to effective writing with the most current best practices from the 7th edition of the American Psychological Association's publication manual. New writers and experienced authors alike will benefit from Effective Writing in Psychology's descriptions of the most frequently used and important aspects of APA-style writing. The authors minimize their use of technical jargon and include explanations of how to create effective posters, deliver high-quality oral presentations, and publish electronically. The book also includes: An up-to-date presentation of ethical, inclusive writing and proper use of modern pronouns Step-by-step guidance on the use of APA formatting in scholarly papers Explanations of how to create effective posters for poster sessions Descriptions of how to organize convincing and credible oral presentations that leave listeners and conference attendees impressed and edified The basics of creating and formatting electronic documents for publication on the web Effective Writing in Psychology: Papers, Posters, and Presentations is an invaluable resource for psychology and social, and behavioral science students at any level. It also belongs on the bookshelves of practicing psychology professionals, researchers, and academics who would like to brush up on their technical writing abilities.

Download or read book Cost of Capital written by Shannon P. Pratt and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-02-25 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this long-awaited Third Edition of Cost of Capital: Applications and Examples, renowned valuation experts and authors Shannon Pratt and Roger Grabowski address the most controversial issues and problems in estimating the cost of capital. This authoritative book makes a timely and significant contribution to the business valuation body of knowledge and is an essential part of the expert's library.