Everbook Summaries

EXTENDED SUMMARY

 

HOW TO LIE WITH STATISTICS

BASED ON THE BOOK BY DARRELL HUFF AND IRVING GEIS

 

SUMMARY WRITTEN BY: EVERBOOK SUMMARIES

 

CONTENT

The Built-in Bias of Samples

The Deceptive Nature of Averages

The Significance of Missing Figures

The Illusion of Importance in Trivial Differences

The Gee-Whiz Effect of Misleading Graphs

The Distorted Reality of One-Dimensional Pictures

The Smoke and Mirrors of the Semiattached Figure

The Causation Confusion of Post Hoc Thinking

The Art of Statisticulation

A General Analysis

 

ABOUT THE ORIGINAL BOOK

How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff and Irving Geis explores the pervasive use of statistical methods and terms in a culture increasingly reliant on data. The book delves into various techniques through which statistics can be manipulated to sensationalize, inflate, confuse, and oversimplify information presented in areas like social trends, polls, and advertising. It examines common pitfalls and deliberate distortions arising from biased sampling, the selection of specific types of averages, the omission of crucial data, and misleading graphical representations. The core of the narrative lies in understanding how statistical presentations can deviate from truthful representation.

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