The Tiger That Isn't by Michael Blastland and Andrew Dilnot

[willoyd]

This book is based on the Radio Four programme "More or Less" which is "devoted to the powerful, sometimes beautiful, often abused but ever ubiquitous world of numbers."
I've unfortunately never listened to the programme (although I now intend to!), but if the book is anything to go by, it must be brilliant! Basically, this is a book on interpreting the statistics that so often get flung about in the media, or by politicians and others.
Sounds dry? Well, yes it does, but in actual fact, this is a wonderfully succinct and lucid explanation of how to approach them, cut through the often deliberate fog that can descend around them, and really understand what is going on. There is absolutely no maths, and no need to understand maths. Instead there is a series of short chapters, each packed full of examples (some very funny, others revealing) all discussed in a wonderfully, easy style to read.
I loved this book, and ripped through its mere 175 or so pages in only a couple of sittings - and that break was only because I did need some sleep last night! The two or three pages where the authors tore the whole farcical history of schools league tables to shreds was a joy in itself.
Thoroughly recommended even those who are somewhat number-shy. This would make an excellent partner to Derek Rowntree's slim classic, Statistics Without Tears: An Introduction for Non-Mathematicians, bearing in mind that this does involved some maths! (I've started to reread it in preparation for a small project on my school's assessment statistics)

[sunny dave]

Thanks Will - this one had stayed off my radar - even though I regularly do listen to 'More or Less'.

Now in my amazon basket & looks like a good companion for 'Bad Science'

[willoyd]

Originally Posted by sunny dave

Thanks Will - this one had stayed off my radar - even though I regularly do listen to 'More or Less'.

Now in my amazon basket & looks like a good companion for 'Bad Science'

Yes, I think that's a good parallel - very much does for stats what Bad Science does for science.

Just listened to my first episode - have been investigating the audio archives on the BBC web site. The programme was presented by Tim Harford, whose economic books I've enjoyed dipping into, so that's another plus for me.

[Louiseog]

Anything against league tables! Library has it!
My one woman crusade begins