I saw Allen Downey lament on LinkedIn that when he gets a message from Google Alerts about “think stats”, and it’s not about his book “Think Stats”, it’s usually someone saying something negative about statistics. Well, just let me say, I think stats are great, and I’m sure “Think Stats” is great too! I’ve just added Downey’s book “Think Stats” to my reading list. I’m hoping to walk to our local library tonight to pick it up.
Another book that should be valuable in giving people a more realistic and positive view is Tim Harford’s “The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics”. Darrel Huff plays the villain in the book, a foil for unproductive and sometimes cynical cynicism. I especially appreciate Harford emphasizing curiosity as a cure. I think I’ll pick it up for another read too while I’m at it and will write a fuller review, if I get to it.
I’m currently enjoying Downey’s “Probably Overthinking It”, which I believe I encountered “at random” in the stacks while looking for something else. In trying to find a page from him on it, I was also happy to stumble across his blog by the same name and a newsletter. Subscribed!
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