How to Read Numbers

Statistics rule our world. Every day, most of us will read or watch something in the news that is based on a statistic in some way. Sometimes it’ll be obvious – ‘X people develop cancer every year’ – and sometimes less obvious – ‘red wine protects against cancer’. The trouble is, statistics, when used carelessly, are dangerous. This book is a guide to how and when to trust statistical evidence – and, perhaps more importantly, when not to.