Sometimes fascinating, often intimidating, the topic of statistics has become trendier lately, due in part to the frequent ambiguity with which the numbers are presented. Charles Wheelan's Naked Statistics focuses on evaluating the numbers and percentages we are bombarded with in everyday life; easing into the subject, first he explains what statistics are, what they can and cannot tell us and why on earth anyone would want to use them. Using real-world examples, Wheelan helps the reader to understand better basic statistical principles. From box office profits and Netflix recommendations to political polls and medical research, he uncovers how math and intuition combine to make numbers that are at best a little fuzzy and at worst completely misleading.
Written in an appealing, witty style with ample references to popular culture, Naked Statistics shows that the act of configuring data to support arguments takes a little bit of science, a lot of art and an unknown quantity of finesse. Wheelan's passion for his topic drives the relaxed textbook structure of his guide, ensuring that the reader is neither intimidated nor overwhelmed by the information. Readers with mathematical anxiety will be delighted to find how little arithmetic it takes to understand the concepts Wheelan discusses; the anecdotes and examples are virtually equation-free. For every person who has struggled to understand statistics and probability, this is the book that can take away the struggle and make it fun. --Sarah Borders, librarian, Houston Public Library