J. Schlackman answers “Bryson asserts on page 86 that "Each year,...”

Angela asked this question about I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away:

Bryson asserts on page 86 that "Each year, 40,000 Americans die from gunshot wounds, the great majority of them by accident." I'm no expert on statistics, but according to the basic Google search I just did, 62% of American gun deaths are suicides, 35% are homicides, and the remaining 3% are accidental. Last time I checked, 3% did not qualify as a "great majority." Why did this kind of error go to print unchecked?

J. Schlackman While this is one of the more egregious errors, it's far from the only incorrect statistic in the book. I suspect the origin of each chapter as a seri…moreWhile this is one of the more egregious errors, it's far from the only incorrect statistic in the book. I suspect the origin of each chapter as a serialized entertainment column in a newspaper meant that fact-checking wasn't a priority, and given that the material had already run in print once, the editorial process for the book was more focused on arrangement than anything else.(less)

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I'm a Stranger Here Myself

by Bill Bryson

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