Reviews from Amazon

Reviews elsewhere on the web:

Michael Blastland and Andrew Dilnot

The Tiger that Isn't

The media are constantly trying to get our attention by proclaiming some shocking statistic or other. InThe Tiger That Isn't: Seeing Through a World of Numbers Michael Blastland and Andrew Dilnot help the reader to judge such proclamations - are they really as shocking as they seem.

The book starts with the question 'Is that a big number', and shows that it all depends on the context - just because a number has lots of zeros on the end doesn't mean that is particularly big. The authors also show the importance of knowing what is being counted - '1 in 4 teenage boys is a criminal' was the headline of one paper, but it turned out that this included anyone who had had a fight with a sibling. The book goes on to look at how to judge the significance of a statement - is it just due to chance - and at the perils of sampling, and of making comparisons between two statistics. There are also chapters on the problems with setting targets - how trying to cut hospital waiting lists may create more problems that it solves - and on our attitude to risk - we worry about tiny dangers while ignoring the big risks.

What I liked about this book was that the authors weren't trying to look smart by showing defects the reader's intuition about probability. Rather they target the media and polititians, who one thinks out to think through their statements more thoroughly. All in all I found it to be an informative and entertaining read.

Note: The book I've linked to for the USA and Canada is The Numbers Game: The Commonsense Guide to Understanding Numbers in the News, in Politics, and in Life. This seems to be essentially the same book as the one I reviewed, although there are a few differences.

Amazon.com info

Hardcover 192 pages
ISBN: 1592404235
Salesrank: 460111
Weight:0.53 lbs

Published: 2008 Gotham

Amazon price $14.96

Marketplace:New from $2.98:Used from $0.92

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Amazon.co.uk info

Paperback 256 pages
ISBN: 1861978391
Salesrank: 153818
Weight:0.57 lbs

Published: 2007 Profile

Marketplace:New from £3.39:Used from £1.58

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Amazon.ca info

Hardcover 192 pages
ISBN: 1592404235
Salesrank: 104368
Weight:0.53 lbs

Published: 2008 Gotham Books

Amazon price CDN$ 17.33

Marketplace:New from CDN$ 8.07:Used from CDN$ 4.98

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Product Description
The Strunk & White of statistics team up to help the average person navigate the numbers in the news. Drawing on their hugely popular BBC Radio 4 show More or Less,, journalist Michael Blastland and internationally known economist Andrew Dilnot delight, amuse, and convert American mathphobes by showing how our everyday experiences make sense of numbers. The radical premise of The Numbers Game is to show how much we already know, and give practical ways to use our knowledge to become cannier consumers of the media. In each concise chapter, the authors take on a different theme—such as size, chance, averages, targets, risk, measurement, and data—and present it as a memorable and entertaining story. If you’ve ever wondered what “average” really means, whether the scare stories about cancer risk should convince you to change your behavior, or whether a story you read in the paper is biased (and how), you need this book. Blastland and Dilnot show how to survive and thrive on the torrent of numbers that pours through everyday life. It’s the essential guide to every cause you love or hate, and every issue you follow, in the language everyone uses.

Product Description

The Strunk & White of statistics team up to help the average person navigate the numbers in the news.

Drawing on their hugely popular BBC Radio 4 show More or Less,, journalist Michael Blastland and internationally known economist Andrew Dilnot delight, amuse, and convert American mathphobes by showing how our everyday experiences make sense of numbers.

The radical premise of The Numbers Game is to show how much we already know, and give practical ways to use our knowledge to become cannier consumers of the media. In each concise chapter, the authors take on a different theme—such as size, chance, averages, targets, risk, measurement, and data—and present it as a memorable and entertaining story.

If you’ve ever wondered what “average” really means, whether the scare stories about cancer risk should convince you to change your behavior, or whether a story you read in the paper is biased (and how), you need this book. Blastland and Dilnot show how to survive and thrive on the torrent of numbers that pours through everyday life. It’s the essential guide to every cause you love or hate, and every issue you follow, in the language everyone uses.

Superb book on what Numbers really mean...definitely a steal at this low price too! *****
This book is fantastic; Michael Blastland and Andrew Dilnot have really captured the essence of what Numbers are all about. Here are three of my favorite quotes from the book: "Uncertainty is a fact of life. Numbers, often being precise, are sometimes used as if they overcame it. A vital principle to establish is that many numbers will be uncertain, and we should not hold that against them. Even 90 percent accuracy might imply more uncertainty than you would expect. The human lesson here is that since life not certain, and since we know this from experience, we should not expect numbers to be any different. They can clarify uncertainty, if used carefully, but they cannot bet it." "Being fallible does not make numbers useless, and the fact that most of the positives are false positives does not mean the test is no good. It has at least narrowed the odds, even if with nothing like 90 percent certainty. Those who are positive are still unlikely to have breast cancer, but they are a little more likely than before they were tested. Those who are negative are now even less likely to have it than before they were tested. So it is not that uncertainty means absolute ignorance, nor that the numbers offer certainty, rather that they can narrow the scope of our ignorance." "We accuse statisticians of being overly reductive and turning the world into numbers, but statisticians know well enough how approximate and fallible their numbers are. It is the rest of us who perform the worst reductionism whenever we pretend the numbers give us excessive certainty. Any journalist who acts as if the range of uncertainty does not matter, and reports only one number in place of a spread of doubt, conspires in a foolish delusion for which no self-respecting statistician would ever fall." I hope these quotes connote a general flavor of the skepticism that Blastland and Dilnot are conveying. I found the book terrific and think everyone should read it. I would also recommend reading the books On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not and Your Brain Is (Almost) Perfect: How We Make Decisions. They fall within this same general category and are equally as good.

Superb book on what Numbers really mean...definitely a steal at this low price too! *****

This book is fantastic; Michael Blastland and Andrew Dilnot have really captured the essence of what Numbers are all about. Here are three of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Uncertainty is a fact of life. Numbers, often being precise, are sometimes used as if they overcame it. A vital principle to establish is that many numbers will be uncertain, and we should not hold that against them. Even 90 percent accuracy might imply more uncertainty than you would expect. The human lesson here is that since life not certain, and since we know this from experience, we should not expect numbers to be any different. They can clarify uncertainty, if used carefully, but they cannot bet it."

"Being fallible does not make numbers useless, and the fact that most of the positives are false positives does not mean the test is no good. It has at least narrowed the odds, even if with nothing like 90 percent certainty. Those who are positive are still unlikely to have breast cancer, but they are a little more likely than before they were tested. Those who are negative are now even less likely to have it than before they were tested. So it is not that uncertainty means absolute ignorance, nor that the numbers offer certainty, rather that they can narrow the scope of our ignorance."

"We accuse statisticians of being overly reductive and turning the world into numbers, but statisticians know well enough how approximate and fallible their numbers are. It is the rest of us who perform the worst reductionism whenever we pretend the numbers give us excessive certainty. Any journalist who acts as if the range of uncertainty does not matter, and reports only one number in place of a spread of doubt, conspires in a foolish delusion for which no self-respecting statistician would ever fall."

I hope these quotes connote a general flavor of the skepticism that Blastland and Dilnot are conveying. I found the book terrific and think everyone should read it. I would also recommend reading the books On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not and Your Brain Is (Almost) Perfect: How We Make Decisions. They fall within this same general category and are equally as good.

A Landmark Book on Numeracy *****
"The Numbers Game" addresses a popular and well-worn topic -- that of how to understand and use the multitude of numbers that permeate modern life. Many popular/"pop science" books purport to cover this topic in illuminating and helpful ways. Of all these publications, I strongly recommend "The Numbers Game" first and foremost -- there is a reason this book was one of the Economist's "Best Books of 2007" and is now used to train all BBC journalists. No other modern publication comes close to both (a) highlighting the importance of understanding how numbers are used in nearly all facets of everyday life and (b) illustrating how to best understand and use numbers to your advantage in the manner Michael Blastland and Andrew Dilnot do in this essential publication. It is rare to find a book that is so accessible to such a wide audience, yet offers such powerful, useful, and immediately applicable tools for understanding our world. Numbers permeate our lives in many ways, yet the application of statistics and numbers in general is poorly understood and can have tremendous influence on the way in which the world is viewed. I offer my this book my strongest recommendation to all readers. Its lessons are timeless and increasingly important in our data- and information-laden societies and its presentation is widely accessible. Readers stand to benefit in real and immediate ways after taking the time to understand the messages in this book. One of the striking "take aways" from "The Numbers Game" is the perspective it opens up for readers. It offers a powerful way to look at, and question, data and information. Put another way, this book opens a panorama for how to assess, interpret, and question data and information -- arguably a more important gift to readers than presenting facts and answers.

A Landmark Book on Numeracy *****

"The Numbers Game" addresses a popular and well-worn topic -- that of how to understand and use the multitude of numbers that permeate modern life. Many popular/"pop science" books purport to cover this topic in illuminating and helpful ways. Of all these publications, I strongly recommend "The Numbers Game" first and foremost -- there is a reason this book was one of the Economist's "Best Books of 2007" and is now used to train all BBC journalists.

No other modern publication comes close to both (a) highlighting the importance of understanding how numbers are used in nearly all facets of everyday life and (b) illustrating how to best understand and use numbers to your advantage in the manner Michael Blastland and Andrew Dilnot do in this essential publication.

It is rare to find a book that is so accessible to such a wide audience, yet offers such powerful, useful, and immediately applicable tools for understanding our world. Numbers permeate our lives in many ways, yet the application of statistics and numbers in general is poorly understood and can have tremendous influence on the way in which the world is viewed.

I offer my this book my strongest recommendation to all readers. Its lessons are timeless and increasingly important in our data- and information-laden societies and its presentation is widely accessible. Readers stand to benefit in real and immediate ways after taking the time to understand the messages in this book.

One of the striking "take aways" from "The Numbers Game" is the perspective it opens up for readers. It offers a powerful way to look at, and question, data and information. Put another way, this book opens a panorama for how to assess, interpret, and question data and information -- arguably a more important gift to readers than presenting facts and answers.

Understanding the numbers game *****
The authors had a long running radio program on the BBC covering the same subject, how to understand numbers in the news, in politics, and in life. The fact that "More or Less" was popular for a long time is evidence that their approach is attractive to many. The show and the book might just appeal to those of us that do not need it and complain that there are so many that do need it, but I doubt it. This book is a fine choice for anyone that realizes they need help understanding the many numbers thrown at us daily. It would also be useful for the many more that do not even realize they could be less helpless when assaulted by a numerical attack. There might be better books but most readers will get more out of this volume than they will by searching for something better. If you don't need the book and you have an opportunity to rescue someone from innumeracy, use whatever you prefer, but this one can do the job. This is an American version of the book originally published in Britain. Many of the examples are from Britain. At first, this can seem like laziness, but the different measurement units and different populations actually make the lessons work better.

Understanding the numbers game *****

The authors had a long running radio program on the BBC
covering the same subject, how to understand numbers in
the news, in politics, and in life. The fact that "More
or Less" was popular for a long time is evidence that
their approach is attractive to many.

The show and the book might just appeal to those of us
that do not need it and complain that there are so many
that do need it, but I doubt it. This book is a fine
choice for anyone that realizes they need help understanding
the many numbers thrown at us daily. It would also be
useful for the many more that do not even realize they
could be less helpless when assaulted by a numerical attack.

There might be better books but most readers will get more
out of this volume than they will by searching for something
better. If you don't need the book and you have an opportunity
to rescue someone from innumeracy, use whatever you prefer,
but this one can do the job.

This is an American version of the book originally published
in Britain. Many of the examples are from Britain. At first,
this can seem like laziness, but the different measurement
units and different populations actually make the lessons
work better.

Best of the lot *****
This is the most comprehensive and best of the generally available non-technical books on this subject. Well written with numerous examples (many of them from Britain) . Len Meiselman.

Best of the lot *****

This is the most comprehensive and best of the generally available non-technical books on this subject. Well written with numerous examples (many of them from Britain) .
Len Meiselman.

Ok, but there are many better books on the subject ***
As a Statistics teacher, I jump when I see that a new book on this subject has come out. The study of how numbers are understood and misunderstood by the public can be very fascinating indeed. Unfortunately, this book ranks slightly below average in a crowded field. Here's why: 1) The book doesn't offer a whole lot of innovative thinking on the subject. Some examples and phraseology were new, and I especially enjoyed the chapter called "The Whole Elephant" (on the foolishness of quantitative goal setting by heads of companies), but much has been rehashed in other books in some form or another. 2) I wasn't entertained. The book lacked humor, and while not what I would outright call dry, it didn't exactly come alive either. 3) Most examples were from studies related to Great Britain. This may or may not bother some people. On the flip side, it is a very quick read, with independent chapters that can be read in 10-15 minute bites. Not a bad bathroom book, I suppose. Better books on the subject, or related subjects: The Drunkard's Walk, Innumeracy, Damned Lies and Statistics, 200% of Nothing, Predictably Irrational, Chances Are

Ok, but there are many better books on the subject ***

As a Statistics teacher, I jump when I see that a new book on this subject has come out. The study of how numbers are understood and misunderstood by the public can be very fascinating indeed. Unfortunately, this book ranks slightly below average in a crowded field. Here's why:

1) The book doesn't offer a whole lot of innovative thinking on the subject. Some examples and phraseology were new, and I especially enjoyed the chapter called "The Whole Elephant" (on the foolishness of quantitative goal setting by heads of companies), but much has been rehashed in other books in some form or another.
2) I wasn't entertained. The book lacked humor, and while not what I would outright call dry, it didn't exactly come alive either.
3) Most examples were from studies related to Great Britain. This may or may not bother some people.

On the flip side, it is a very quick read, with independent chapters that can be read in 10-15 minute bites. Not a bad bathroom book, I suppose.

Better books on the subject, or related subjects: The Drunkard's Walk, Innumeracy, Damned Lies and Statistics, 200% of Nothing, Predictably Irrational, Chances Are

every body would be better off for reading this book *****
just a realy great book , particularly at putting things into perspective. it is funny and an easy read. particulary great if your reading poltics at uni, as helps loads with statistical analysis. so read it. it will benefit you without a doubt.

every body would be better off for reading this book *****

just a realy great book , particularly at putting things into perspective. it is funny and an easy read. particulary great if your reading poltics at uni, as helps loads with statistical analysis. so read it. it will benefit you without a doubt.

a must read for all people who say they can't do numbers *****
This book is very readable, and gives insight into all sorts of media maths messes concerning numbers. There are chapters on various topics such as chance and averages, and really open your eyes as to how the media and people in power all want to hoodwink you and make things seem worse than they usually are - or better, depending on their agenda. Yet it isn't a book about politics, more how numbers are used by those up there to win arguments, and even more to the point, how we can ask the right questions to find out how relevant their numbers arguments actually are.

a must read for all people who say they can't do numbers *****

This book is very readable, and gives insight into all sorts of media maths messes concerning numbers. There are chapters on various topics such as chance and averages, and really open your eyes as to how the media and people in power all want to hoodwink you and make things seem worse than they usually are - or better, depending on their agenda. Yet it isn't a book about politics, more how numbers are used by those up there to win arguments, and even more to the point, how we can ask the right questions to find out how relevant their numbers arguments actually are.

Wow! *****
This nifty little book is a gem. Using dodgy statistics from politicians, newspapers and the UK government, it teaches the reader how to figure out what all those numbers really mean. I'm pretty much into numbers myself, but I learned a massive amount from reading this entertaining book. The book covers the gamut of techniques used to bamboozle the public on a daily basis - size, counting, chance, averages, risk, data and causation, to mention only a few. Along the way readers will learn why most people have more legs than average, why targets distort work processes, and how sampling affects the immigration figures. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I'd happily recommend it to anyone who wants to find out what the numbers behind the headlines really mean. Highly recommended

Wow! *****

This nifty little book is a gem. Using dodgy statistics from politicians, newspapers and the UK government, it teaches the reader how to figure out what all those numbers really mean. I'm pretty much into numbers myself, but I learned a massive amount from reading this entertaining book.
The book covers the gamut of techniques used to bamboozle the public on a daily basis - size, counting, chance, averages, risk, data and causation, to mention only a few. Along the way readers will learn why most people have more legs than average, why targets distort work processes, and how sampling affects the immigration figures.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and I'd happily recommend it to anyone who wants to find out what the numbers behind the headlines really mean.
Highly recommended

We all know more than we think we do or not ****
"We all know more than we think we do" is the first line of this book. The authors are reassuring the reader that there is no need to be afraid of numbers, despite how confusingly figures and statistics are often presented, particularly by politicians and the press. In terms of presenting numbers, this is about the meaning ascribed to numbers rather than how they are displayed visually. But if we reverse that first line - "we think we know more than we do" - we are all guilty of that too. The many practical examples of how numbers are misinterpreted, both accidentally and deliberately, ring true with personal experience. Don't be afraid, be very afraid! However, this book isn't about beancounter-bashing but is an affirmation of the value of numbers when handled with care and humility. This is a very simple book and anyone who studied economics or mathematics to a reasonable level will (think they) know it all. For the rest of us, this is catch-up time! Fortunately, there are hardly any numbers in the book and it is more about analysing real-life examples, including well-known news stories about climate change, speed cameras, school league tables, health scares and other topics. In that way, "The Tiger That Isn't" is in a similar vein to other recent popular economics books like Freakonomics or Fooled by Randomness, albeit less sensational than the former and more accessible than the latter. The twelve chapters each show a different way to spot and avoid the abuse of numbers - there is a one page summary at the back of the book that is shorter and more informative than this review!

We all know more than we think we do or not ****

"We all know more than we think we do" is the first line of this book. The authors are reassuring the reader that there is no need to be afraid of numbers, despite how confusingly figures and statistics are often presented, particularly by politicians and the press. In terms of presenting numbers, this is about the meaning ascribed to numbers rather than how they are displayed visually.

But if we reverse that first line - "we think we know more than we do" - we are all guilty of that too. The many practical examples of how numbers are misinterpreted, both accidentally and deliberately, ring true with personal experience. Don't be afraid, be very afraid! However, this book isn't about beancounter-bashing but is an affirmation of the value of numbers when handled with care and humility.

This is a very simple book and anyone who studied economics or mathematics to a reasonable level will (think they) know it all. For the rest of us, this is catch-up time! Fortunately, there are hardly any numbers in the book and it is more about analysing real-life examples, including well-known news stories about climate change, speed cameras, school league tables, health scares and other topics. In that way, "The Tiger That Isn't" is in a similar vein to other recent popular economics books like Freakonomics or Fooled by Randomness, albeit less sensational than the former and more accessible than the latter.

The twelve chapters each show a different way to spot and avoid the abuse of numbers - there is a one page summary at the back of the book that is shorter and more informative than this review!

So good, I could not put it down till the end. *****
Crystal clear, scandalous in places, a good read and a good laugh. It is true, as someone else said, that this book seems simple. But only after you have absorbed its ideas. Beforehand, you would swear this was an obscure and difficult subject. Afterwards, you wonder how anyone could find it a problem. It is one of those books that you just get, and once you get it, you lap it up and love it. What is most impressive is the way it weaves real life examples of junk numbers in politics or the media with mental images to show where they mess up and why. The only problem is that you will come away thinking politicians and the media are idiots, wondering how they get away with it, and you will be equipped with about 2 years of pub conversation you will not be able to resist.

So good, I could not put it down till the end. *****

Crystal clear, scandalous in places, a good read and a good laugh. It is true, as someone else said, that this book seems simple. But only after you have absorbed its ideas. Beforehand, you would swear this was an obscure and difficult subject. Afterwards, you wonder how anyone could find it a problem. It is one of those books that you just get, and once you get it, you lap it up and love it. What is most impressive is the way it weaves real life examples of junk numbers in politics or the media with mental images to show where they mess up and why. The only problem is that you will come away thinking politicians and the media are idiots, wondering how they get away with it, and you will be equipped with about 2 years of pub conversation you will not be able to resist.

Commonsense and Numbers ****
There are several books in publication today that strive to guide the general reader through mazes of number-based information; their main purpose is to impart to the general public the ability to ask the right questions and make sense of the information being presented. Some of these books are quite enjoyable while others can be a bit dry. I would place this one in the former category. Having said that, it should be pointed out that the specific topics that are discussed vary greatly throughout the book; as a result, a given reader may find some chapters much more interesting than others. This was certainly true in my case; for example, I found the chapters on risk to be particularly fascinating. The writing style is clear, friendly, authoritative, accessible and engaging. While math/statistics buffs may be the ones to be most attracted to this book, it should be noted that it can be enjoyed by everyone, i.e., the authors' target audience.

Commonsense and Numbers ****

There are several books in publication today that strive to guide the general reader through mazes of number-based information; their main purpose is to impart to the general public the ability to ask the right questions and make sense of the information being presented. Some of these books are quite enjoyable while others can be a bit dry. I would place this one in the former category. Having said that, it should be pointed out that the specific topics that are discussed vary greatly throughout the book; as a result, a given reader may find some chapters much more interesting than others. This was certainly true in my case; for example, I found the chapters on risk to be particularly fascinating. The writing style is clear, friendly, authoritative, accessible and engaging. While math/statistics buffs may be the ones to be most attracted to this book, it should be noted that it can be enjoyed by everyone, i.e., the authors' target audience.