How to Tell the Liars from the Statisticians PDF Download

Author: Hooke
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1498710441
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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Author: Darrell Huff
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393070875
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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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.

Author: Sarah Boslaugh
Publisher: "O'Reilly Media, Inc."
ISBN: 1449316824
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 595

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Book Description
A clear and concise introduction and reference for anyone new to the subject of statistics.

Author: Joel Best
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520953517
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 218

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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.

Author: Phillip I. Good
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118211278
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 231

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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.

Author: Joel Best
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520930029
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 222

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Book Description
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.

Author: Gary Smith
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1468310682
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 192

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How statistical data is used, misused, and abused every day to fool us: “A very entertaining book about a very serious problem.” —Robert J. Shiller, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics and author of Irrational Exuberance Did you know that baseball players whose names begin with “D” are more likely to die young? That Asian Americans are most susceptible to heart attacks on the fourth day of the month? That drinking a full pot of coffee every morning adds years to your life, but one cup a day increases your pancreatic cancer risk? These “facts” have been argued with a straight face by credentialed researchers and backed up with reams of data and convincing statistics. As Nobel Prize–winning economist Ronald Coase cynically observed, “If you torture data long enough, it will confess.” Lying with statistics is a time-honored con. In Standard Deviations, economics professor Gary Smith walks us through the various tricks and traps that people use to back up their own crackpot theories. Sometimes, the unscrupulous deliberately try to mislead us. Other times, the well-intentioned are blissfully unaware of the mischief they are committing. Today, data is so plentiful that researchers spend precious little time distinguishing between good, meaningful indicators and total rubbish. Not only do others use data to fool us, we fool ourselves. Drawing on breakthrough research in behavioral economics and using clear examples, Standard Deviations demystifies the science behind statistics and makes it easy to spot the fraud all around us. “An entertaining primer . . . packed with figures, tables, graphs and ludicrous examples from people who know better (academics, scientists) and those who don’t (political candidates, advertisers).” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Author: Michael Wheeler
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 326

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Author: S.C. Gupta
Publisher: Sultan Chand & Sons
ISBN: 9351611736
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 22

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Knowledge updating is a never-ending process and so should be the revision of an effective textbook. The book originally written fifty years ago has, during the intervening period, been revised and reprinted several times. The authors have, however, been thinking, for the last few years that the book needed not only a thorough revision but rather a substantial rewriting. They now take great pleasure in presenting to the readers the twelfth, thoroughly revised and enlarged, Golden Jubilee edition of the book. The subject-matter in the entire book has been re-written in the light of numerous criticisms and suggestions received from the users of the earlier editions in India and abroad. The basis of this revision has been the emergence of new literature on the subject, the constructive feedback from students and teaching fraternity, as well as those changes that have been made in the syllabi and/or the pattern of examination papers of numerous universities. Knowledge updating is a never-ending process and so should be the revision of an effective textbook. The book originally written fifty years ago has, during the intervening period, been revised and reprinted several times. The authors have, however, been thinking, for the last few years that the book needed not only a thorough revision but rather a substantial rewriting. They now take great pleasure in presenting to the readers the twelfth, thoroughly revised and enlarged, Golden Jubilee edition of the book. The subject-matter in the entire book has been re-written in the light of numerous criticisms and suggestions received from the users of the earlier editions in India and abroad. The basis of this revision has been the emergence of new literature on the subject, the constructive feedback from students and teaching fraternity, as well as those changes that have been made in the syllabi and/or the pattern of examination papers of numerous universities. Knowledge updating is a never-ending process and so should be the revision of an effective textbook. The book originally written fifty years ago has, during the intervening period, been revised and reprinted several times. The authors have, however, been thinking, for the last few years that the book needed not only a thorough revision but rather a substantial rewriting. They now take great pleasure in presenting to the readers the twelfth, thoroughly revised and enlarged, Golden Jubilee edition of the book. The subject-matter in the entire book has been re-written in the light of numerous criticisms and suggestions received from the users of the earlier editions in India and abroad. The basis of this revision has been the emergence of new literature on the subject, the constructive feedback from students and teaching fraternity, as well as those changes that have been made in the syllabi and/or the pattern of examination papers of numerous universities. Some prominent additions are given below: 1. Variance of Degenerate Random Variable 2. Approximate Expression for Expectation and Variance 3. Lyapounov’s Inequality 4. Holder’s Inequality 5. Minkowski’s Inequality 6. Double Expectation Rule or Double-E Rule and many others

Author: Gerald J. Hahn
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118490134
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 358

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A valuable guide to a successful career as a statistician A Career in Statistics: Beyond the Numbers prepares readers for careers in statistics by emphasizing essential concepts and practices beyond the technical tools provided in standard courses and texts. This insider's guide from internationally recognized applied statisticians helps readers decide whether a career in statistics is right for them, provides hands-on guidance on how to prepare for such a career, and shows how to succeed on the job. The book provides non-technical guidance for a successful career. The authors' extensive industrial experience is supplemented by insights from contributing authors from government and academia, Carol Joyce Blumberg, Leonard M. Gaines, Lynne B. Hare, William Q. Meeker, and Josef Schmee. Following an introductory chapter that provides an overview of the field, the authors discuss the various dimensions of a career in applied statistics in three succinct parts: The Work of a Statistician describes the day-to-day activities of applied statisticians in business and industry, official government, and various other application areas, highlighting the work environment and major on-the-job challenges Preparing for a Successful Career in Statistics describes the personal traits that characterize successful statisticians, the education that they need to acquire, and approaches for securing the right job Building a Successful Career as a Statistician offers practical guidance for addressing key challenges that statisticians face on the job, such as project initiation and execution, effective communication, publicizing successes, ethical considerations, and gathering good data; alternative career paths are also described The book concludes with an in-depth examination of careers for statisticians in academia as well as tips to help them stay on top of their field throughout their careers. Each chapter includes thought-provoking discussion questions and a Major Takeaways section that outlines key concepts. Real-world examples illustrate key points, and an FTP site provides additional information on selected topics. A Career in Statistics is an invaluable guide for individuals who are considering or have decided on a career in statistics as well as for statisticians already on the job who want to accelerate their path to success. It also serves as a suitable book for courses on statistical consulting, statistical practice, and statistics in the workplace at the undergraduate and graduate levels.