Learn where the statistics came from and certainly understand what data vanished into obscurity. Not so fast! Tim helps us find the error in this misleading data.

In fact, when counting beans, the definition of a bean matters: So, make sure your understanding is accurate. We need to ask if we really understand the data. This is just like reviewing ingredients on food. Both perspectives help you understand the truth. However, riding during rush hour is another story. For example, you ride public transit (bus, subway, or train) in a large city, ridership is seemingly only half-full. Tim is suggesting we look to combine the statistical perspective with our own personal experiences. Our personal experiences (worm’s eye) does not seem in sync with statistical data (bird’s-eye). In our seemingly crazy world of 2021 (and 2020) this is so important as organizations and speakers pin-point emotional data to trigger our beliefs, opinions, and actions. We can find ourselves embracing false statistics because we do like them.

Our emotions certainly influence us, and we may dismiss statistics because we immediately do not like them. Really, stop and focus on how new information makes you feel. In addition, Tim provides great insights and stories that help reveal how to overcome types of statistics that play upon one’s emotional intelligence.īelow is a short view of each chapter presented as rules that help readers understand statistics: Rule 1: Search your Feelingsįirst, stop and notice our emotional reactions to a claim, rather than accepting or rejecting it because of how it makes us feel. Presenting data without understanding the ground rules can (and often) misdirects the reader. Tim provides ten rules to interpret statistics. In this book, readers will understand truth with statistics. Ultimately, Tim wants readers to better understand data from the world that is pushed into our browsers everyday. This can certainly viewed as an updated version of How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff. Tim certainly presents solid lessons addressing today’s numerous infographics that dominate many webpages and blogs. This is a very good book providing much needed insights to understand the flood of statistics that are available online everywhere today from news organizations to non-profits, and especially marketing firms representing various clients.

The Data Detective by Tim Harford