Lying Numbers: How Maths and Statistics Are Twisted and Abused

A readily understandable exploration of how figures are badly reported or deliberately misrepresented everywhere from political arguments and briefings to business presentations and shopping offers. Praise for Hugh Barker's Million Dollar Maths: 'Great fun. A clear, original and highly readable account of the curious relationship between mathematics and money.' Professor Ian Stewart - author of Significant Figures 'A lively crash course in the mathematics of gambling, investing, and managing. Hugh Barker makes deep ideas fun and profitable.' William Poundstone - author of How to Predict the Unpredictable Politicians, economists, scientists, journalists . . . all of them have been known to bend the truth and to twist the facts from time to time. But surely the numbers and statistics they rely on are cold, hard objective facts that tell the real story? Of course the truth is much murkier than that. Figures can be misinterpreted, misunderstood, misconstrued and misused in hundreds of different ways. This book takes a look at the many ways that statistical information can be badly reported or deliberately misused in all walks of life, from political arguments, to business presentations, to more local concerns such as shopping offers and utility bills. A polemical guide to how numbers are used to mislead, which is intended to help the reader through the minefield of dubious stats and lying numbers.