The Tiger That Isn't: Seeing Through a World of NumbersMathematics scares and depresses most of us, but politicians, journalists and everyone in power use numbers all the time to bamboozle us. Most maths is really simple - as easy as 2+2 in fact. Better still it can be understood without any jargon, any formulas - and in fact not even many numbers. Most of it is commonsense, and by using a few really simple principles one can quickly see when maths, statistics and numbers are being abused to play tricks - or create policies - which can waste millions of pounds. It is liberating to understand when numbers are telling the truth or being used to lie, whether it is health scares, the costs of government policies, the supposed risks of certain activities or the real burden of taxes. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
Use Mushy Peas | 6 |
Its Personal | 17 |
The Tiger That Isnt | 37 |
A Man and his Dog | 52 |
The White Rainbow | 68 |
The Whole Elephant | 88 |
Bring Home the Bacon | 107 |
Know the Unknowns | 147 |
Wayward Tee Shots | 165 |
Mind the Gap | 177 |
Think Twice | 201 |
Finally | 213 |
Acknowledgements | 214 |
Further Reading | 216 |
| 221 | |
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The Tiger that Isn't: Seeing Through a World of Numbers Michael Blastland,A. W. Dilnot No preview available - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
40 per cent accidents acrylamide ANDREW DILNOT answer average babies behaviour better big number breast cancer Britain cancer clusters causation cause chance claims climateprediction.net clusters compared comparison count death debt Department for Transport easy economic effect epitestosterone estimate evidence example expect experience fact figures gene half happens headlines healthcare Healthcare Commission Hobbit hospital human imagination income journalists league tables less live look mean measure middle million mortality multiple sclerosis mushy peas norovirus outliers patients performance political population prison probably problem prostate cancer question reason reported rise risk Rob Eastaway sample schools seems sense shows simple single number single-sex schools speed cameras statisticians statistics survey tagged target tell testosterone things tiger tion true typical waiting what’s whole wrong Zinedine Zidane