The Numbers Game - by Michael Blastland & Andrew Dilnot (Paperback)

About the Book

Drawing on their hugely popular BBC radio show "More or Less," the Strunk & White of statistics team up to delight, amuse, and convert American mathphobes by showing how their everyday experiences make sense of numbers. Charts and graphs throughout.

Book Synopsis

The Strunk and 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. 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.

Review Quotes

About the Author

Michael Blastland is a writer, broadcaster, and the creator of More or Less, the BBC Radio 4 show.
Andrew Dilnot, the former host of the show, is the principal of St. Hugh's College, Oxford, and was the director of England's Institute for Fiscal Studies.