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76th out of 594 books
—
1,306 voters
How to Lie with Statistics
Darrell Huff runs the gamut of every popularly used type of statistic, probes such things as the sample study, the tabulation method, the interview technique, or the way results are derived from the figures, and points up the countless number of dodges which are used to fool rather than to inform.
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
September 1st 1982
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published 1954)
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Sep 10, 2011
Eric Phetteplace
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who don't want to be ignoramuses their whole lives
Shelves:
lis-web
This is one of those rare books I would recommend to almost anyone. It's clear, concise, funny, not too complex, and above all important for anyone who wants to understand politics, economics, science, or life in general. Statistical analysis is so vital to determining how things actually stand and where we should be moving that people lacking awareness of basic logical/statistical fallacies are doomed to live within delusions. Being informed necessitates understanding and being skeptical of sta...more
Mar 01, 2012
Nate
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
dont-own-library-rental,
2012,
non-fiction,
science,
economics-stocks-business,
classics,
math
I still wonder why Trigonometry and Calculus are offered in high school, but Statistics is not. It's such a broad subject that is used in so many fields-even forgetting all of the numbers we read in magazines. I digress.
This book specifically focuses on the facts and figures that we see everyday, pretty much everywhere. I thought it was well written and extremely thorough, going from problems that happen during study collection, to the cherry picking and presentation of data itself. I had to gr...more
This book specifically focuses on the facts and figures that we see everyday, pretty much everywhere. I thought it was well written and extremely thorough, going from problems that happen during study collection, to the cherry picking and presentation of data itself. I had to gr...more
Yes, it has all the stuff you hear about: how people use stats to subtly (and not-so-subtly) misdirect the reader/listener, how to systematically recognize (or create) misinterpretations, and a strong implicit call to action for clearer information in public discourse.
But in the billion years since this classic came of age, we've all learned that other ways, some of them better presented. When it was written, many people believed the information they received in the papers, in magazines, and on...more
But in the billion years since this classic came of age, we've all learned that other ways, some of them better presented. When it was written, many people believed the information they received in the papers, in magazines, and on...more
I'm just going to quote the Amazon.com review:
"There is terror in numbers," writes Darrell Huff in How to Lie with Statistics. And nowhere does this terror translate to blind acceptance of authority more than in the slippery world of averages, correlations, graphs, and trends. Huff sought to break through "the daze that follows the collision of statistics with the human mind" with this slim volume, first published in 1954. The book remains relevant as a wake-up call for people unaccustomed to ex...more
"There is terror in numbers," writes Darrell Huff in How to Lie with Statistics. And nowhere does this terror translate to blind acceptance of authority more than in the slippery world of averages, correlations, graphs, and trends. Huff sought to break through "the daze that follows the collision of statistics with the human mind" with this slim volume, first published in 1954. The book remains relevant as a wake-up call for people unaccustomed to ex...more
Good, reasonably entertaining introduction to the basic ideas behind statistics as used in the "popular" sphere. No serious complaints, but it doesn't particularly stand out as insightful, mostly because of a few problems:
- Old, so it uses outdated terms and examples that can be confusing and sometimes insulting - I didn't understand a couple of examples at all
- The use of maths is confusing - it says everything in word form instead of equations, which doesn't particularly help those with troubl...more
- Old, so it uses outdated terms and examples that can be confusing and sometimes insulting - I didn't understand a couple of examples at all
- The use of maths is confusing - it says everything in word form instead of equations, which doesn't particularly help those with troubl...more
I really enjoyed this one. It had been on my list of books that I need to read for such a long time that I am glad to say that I have finally read it.
While the examples are somewhat dated considering this book was originally published in the 50’s, the statistics still apply and the wrongdoings of the statistics are still happening and relevant. The little cartoons add to the book and just give it a lighter and more fun feeling.
What I loved the most about this book is that it was really simplisti...more
While the examples are somewhat dated considering this book was originally published in the 50’s, the statistics still apply and the wrongdoings of the statistics are still happening and relevant. The little cartoons add to the book and just give it a lighter and more fun feeling.
What I loved the most about this book is that it was really simplisti...more
One Line: Learn how to read and understand survies and researches better.
Short, fun to read, useful information.
Why do you want to read this book?
--------------------------
It will help you when reading statistics to think about and answer those questions:
Who say so, and how does he know?
What's missing?
Did somebody change the subject?
Test yourself: some questions from the book to tease you curiosity.
-------------------------------------------------
Q1: More people are kiled in the evening then...more
Short, fun to read, useful information.
Why do you want to read this book?
--------------------------
It will help you when reading statistics to think about and answer those questions:
Who say so, and how does he know?
What's missing?
Did somebody change the subject?
Test yourself: some questions from the book to tease you curiosity.
-------------------------------------------------
Q1: More people are kiled in the evening then...more
This book is a brief and charming reminder of how percentages, graphs and charts, and survey results may be used to create an impression not actually indicated by the numbers.
I say "reminder" because I've taken intro-level statistics and encountered these ideas before, but I think that How to Lie with Statistics should be comprehensible to anyone who knows practical arithmetic.
Apart from its subject matter, it's interesting to read this book published in 1954 58 years later to see what sorts of...more
I say "reminder" because I've taken intro-level statistics and encountered these ideas before, but I think that How to Lie with Statistics should be comprehensible to anyone who knows practical arithmetic.
Apart from its subject matter, it's interesting to read this book published in 1954 58 years later to see what sorts of...more
An oldie but a goodie, Huff's classic is a quick informative guide to taking statistics and figures with a healthy dose of salt. In this book, Huff gives numerous examples of statistics that on the surface seem incredibly accurate, but upon closer examination reveal flaws in the reasoning and how people can truly bend the numbers into whatever shape they desire. Finally, Huff presents the reader with a set of questions and guidelines to help them think critically when presented with a set of sta...more
This book was published in 1954 and some of the examples are dated but the principles it puts forth are still valid today--if not more so than ever--and the material is delivered in clear, concise, and even entertaining anecdotes and illustrations. It is also an easy read that can be easily finished in one day of concentrated effort.
How often do you hear statistics bandied about in the media or used to try to prove some special-interest point? "Of course" the people quoting the figures must be r...more
How often do you hear statistics bandied about in the media or used to try to prove some special-interest point? "Of course" the people quoting the figures must be r...more
أحب الرياضيات و تستهويني الأرقام ، لكن علم الإحصاء كان حاجزا لم أكن أستطيع تجاوزه ، و بالأخص ثلاثة مفاهيم (عقدتني) :
mean, mode, & medium
كنت دائما أقرأها في الدراسات التي أطلع عليها دون أن أفهمها أبدا ، و أشتهي لو أني أستطيع توظيفها في أبحاثي التي تعتمد على الأرقام .
فكّ هذا الكتاب عقدتي ! ، أخيرا فهمت ما تعنيه هذه المفاهيم من خلال تخطيط رسمي مبسط (<- بديل منزلي للسكانر العطلانة) ، لم أجده في أي من كتب الإحصاء !. متعة أني أخيرا عرفت معنى هذه المصطلحات تفوق الكثير من المتع !. سعيدة جدا بهذ...more
mean, mode, & medium
كنت دائما أقرأها في الدراسات التي أطلع عليها دون أن أفهمها أبدا ، و أشتهي لو أني أستطيع توظيفها في أبحاثي التي تعتمد على الأرقام .
فكّ هذا الكتاب عقدتي ! ، أخيرا فهمت ما تعنيه هذه المفاهيم من خلال تخطيط رسمي مبسط (<- بديل منزلي للسكانر العطلانة) ، لم أجده في أي من كتب الإحصاء !. متعة أني أخيرا عرفت معنى هذه المصطلحات تفوق الكثير من المتع !. سعيدة جدا بهذ...more
Recommended by both Jamie S. Z. and my Statistical Foundations professor. Really engaging and common-spoken, eager to make us adroit critical thinkers of statistical information. The main problem, of course, is its age, which enthusiastically describes plush neighborhoods with an average income of $15,000 and the enormous profits of $42 a week. Still, it has the fervor to educate us because, as H.G. Wells once prophesied, "Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizensh...more
It seems a little shallow to rate this semi-pamphlet at four stars, as one of the must-read books, but that's exactly what I'm going to do.
This book earns four stars from me simply from its concisiveness and practicality. You can churn through this beauty in one sitting. It is entertaining, has excellent examples, introduces concepts in a wry, witty tone, and after ten years of courses, articles, books, and opinions, I have yet to learn a single thing about misleading statistics that wasn't taug...more
ever have the feeling that all 97.2% of statistics are bullshit? that's probably a low estimate. everyone should read this book. bogus statistics (58% of americans believe x) are everywhere. huff systematically destroyed this crap 50 years ago. unfortunately, some of the examples are dated, but you'll get the idea.
This was required reading in a speech course in college. Badly in need of an update, true. But also in need of supplements in other fields. It wasn't until I got to grad school (post-master's, in fact) that I actually got a course in analyzing scientific studies--something people should be started on in elementary school. If enough people knew how to detect bias and suchlike in scientific studies, we might hear less wide-eyed reporting about 'obesity epidemics' (created by redefining obesity, th...more
This book is really interesting and enjoyable to read.
All the knowledge about statistics in this book is not complicated; it is indeed basic and easily understandable and appears in many science textbooks (with content about scientific method). However, the author comes up with many interesting and surprising ways to use such simple statistical tools for the purpose of deceiving the general public. Together with this are plenty of examples from the media and the press, which makes it easier to...more
All the knowledge about statistics in this book is not complicated; it is indeed basic and easily understandable and appears in many science textbooks (with content about scientific method). However, the author comes up with many interesting and surprising ways to use such simple statistical tools for the purpose of deceiving the general public. Together with this are plenty of examples from the media and the press, which makes it easier to...more
Pretty good. Research Methods prof brought it up as something of a joke, but it was only about $6 at Amazon and I had to order the class books anyway, so what the hell. Good, gentle reintroduction to stats, something I haven't had a class in since 19-mumble.
A couple things struck me about this book related to its 1954 pub date. One was that, based on examples he was citing of advertisers and corporations lying with stats, things were a lot looser back then! You could get away with stuff (apparen...more
A couple things struck me about this book related to its 1954 pub date. One was that, based on examples he was citing of advertisers and corporations lying with stats, things were a lot looser back then! You could get away with stuff (apparen...more
This book cracked me up. The actual information contained in it is all about how the media, marketeers, and others use statistics to lie. However, it was written quite awhile ago and it makes many references to pop culture events happening in the 1940s. That's what makes this book a true gem. The knowledge contained in it is priceless but with the backdrop of the historical references, it makes this book both helpful and comedic.
Despite when this was written, the same statistical manipulation th...more
Despite when this was written, the same statistical manipulation th...more
This booked taught me nothing. If you have been around me, I have given the confounding variables are in every comparison. All the author talks about are the confounding variables that writers leave out in order to make there comparisons seem relevant. You do not want to be lied to, then the more sample the merrier. I did learn one thing so I lied from the first sentence I wrote. Starting to make sense now. I liked the chapter about Post Hoc. If A then B and if B then A. Example is smokers in co...more
This is a classic little book that summarizes basic rules of probabilities and statistics and how they are often misused to produce official sounding statistics.
I love the humorous and accessible writing in this book. It's a greatest hits of statistical sleights of hand and snake oil medicine.
You may already know concepts like median, mean and mode, but I'll wager that your statistics professor didn't spend too much time on how they are misused in the real world.
And folks, these tricks, get used...more
I love the humorous and accessible writing in this book. It's a greatest hits of statistical sleights of hand and snake oil medicine.
You may already know concepts like median, mean and mode, but I'll wager that your statistics professor didn't spend too much time on how they are misused in the real world.
And folks, these tricks, get used...more
"Permitting statistical treatment and the hypnotic presence of numbers and decimal points to befog causal relationships is little better than superstition. And it is often more seriously misleading. It is rather like the conviction among the people of the New Hebrides that body lice produce good health. Observation over the centuries had taught them that people in good health usually had lice and sick people very often did not. The observation itself was accurate and sound, as observations made...more
Many people I've met are fearful of the subject of statistics, finding it hopelessly dry and soul-sappingly boring.
While I can't say the stat course I took in college made me enthusiastic about the subject, it strengthened my appreciation of the subject.
Statistically-based reasoning--or distortions masquerading as such--rule our lives, however. So if people read nothing else on statistics in their entire lives, they should read this book, for it focuses directly on how statistical deceptions are...more
While I can't say the stat course I took in college made me enthusiastic about the subject, it strengthened my appreciation of the subject.
Statistically-based reasoning--or distortions masquerading as such--rule our lives, however. So if people read nothing else on statistics in their entire lives, they should read this book, for it focuses directly on how statistical deceptions are...more
This is a classic little book that summarizes basic rules of probabilities and statistics and how they are often misused to produce official sounding statistics.
I love the humorous and accessible writing in this book. It's a greatest hits of statistical sleights of hand and snake oil medicine.
You may already know concepts like median, mean and mode, but I'll wager that your statistics professor didn't spend too much time on how they are misused in the real world.
And folks, these tricks, get used...more
I love the humorous and accessible writing in this book. It's a greatest hits of statistical sleights of hand and snake oil medicine.
You may already know concepts like median, mean and mode, but I'll wager that your statistics professor didn't spend too much time on how they are misused in the real world.
And folks, these tricks, get used...more
This book is older than I am, written in 1954, but it is still highly rated and Amazon reviewers said that it is still relevant. The basic principles are true and the way people lied with statistics then is still as popular and prevalent as ever. But the book is not only outdated in its examples (e.g., average per capita income is $5,000, or "is one cigarette really better than the next?"), the conversational style of writing is antiquated. The author sounded like an old TV commercial. The princ...more
Marvelous little book. It's from 1954 and some things are obviously dated. That makes some things, like mentions of prices, very funny. However, his points are timeless.
This is easily read and easy to understand. I have never had statistics in school and I am trying to make up for that. This is perfect. There is a lot of sensible wisdom that any responsible citizen can benefit from. You use this when reading the newspaper, advertisements, news from the government, etc., etc. A friend lent me thi...more
This is easily read and easy to understand. I have never had statistics in school and I am trying to make up for that. This is perfect. There is a lot of sensible wisdom that any responsible citizen can benefit from. You use this when reading the newspaper, advertisements, news from the government, etc., etc. A friend lent me thi...more
Aug 09, 2011
Marc Resnick
marked it as to-read
Everyone should be familiar with the message in this book, whether you read the book or not. Basically, it is incredibly easy to manipulate statistics to say anything you want. And so when you see political polls, market research, or whatever, you can count on the fact that the organization publishing the data has skewed the way it is being presented to maximize the point they are trying to make. Sometimes, this can be simply "aggressive interpretation." But statistical data is so easy to manipu...more
Είχα από καιρό δει σε κάποια παλιά βιβλιοθήκη της κλινικής ένα μικρό βιβλίο (124 σελίδες), εικονογραφημένο με γελοιογραφίες, με έναν πολύ «πιασάρικο» τίτλο: How to Lie with Statistics. Τελικά, το πήρα για να το διαβάσω. Πρόκειται για έναν απλό οδηγό για αυτό ακριβώς που λέει ο τίτλος του: Πώς να πεις ψέματα χρησιμοποιώντας τη στατιστική. Με πολλά παραδείγματα, κυρίως από τον κόσμο της οικονομίας, ο συγγραφέας παρουσιάζει απλά πώς η στατιστική μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί για να παρουσιαστούν αποτελέ...more
This book was published in 1954, before Excel, and it hasn't been updated yet it's still being reissued. After reading this, I can only assume that B.E. (Before Excel) statistics were presented more often with illustrations rather than bar graphs and pie charts, which would just be weird now since it's so easy to prepare graphs in Excel. Or maybe the whole point of the book is that if you use illustrations you will be able to confuse your audience with more ease. Either way, I didn't really lear...more
Wish I'd read this 30 years ago, despite having little in the way of maths it does teach a rational sceptical approach to that main tool of the manipulative - statistics.
The examples from the 1930s through the 1960s are quaint but don't detract.
I mark it down by 1 star for its lack of math content - I want to see a book that takes a popular approach while explaining the underlying math - like what sample size gives what confidence level.
Not the book's fault, but it also loses a star because its...more
The examples from the 1930s through the 1960s are quaint but don't detract.
I mark it down by 1 star for its lack of math content - I want to see a book that takes a popular approach while explaining the underlying math - like what sample size gives what confidence level.
Not the book's fault, but it also loses a star because its...more
The title is somewhat misleading. A more representative, but less punchy title would be "How not to get lied to with statistics."
This little book (my copy is a 'little red book') is wonderfully handy for teaching about statistics. If given the choice, it would be mandatory reading for all students, beginning in elementary school, as it provides a basic understanding in statistical (critical) thinking.
If you've ever heard "4 out of 5 dentists recommend Trident for their patients who chew gum" and...more
This little book (my copy is a 'little red book') is wonderfully handy for teaching about statistics. If given the choice, it would be mandatory reading for all students, beginning in elementary school, as it provides a basic understanding in statistical (critical) thinking.
If you've ever heard "4 out of 5 dentists recommend Trident for their patients who chew gum" and...more
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Apr 15, 2013 09:39pm