How to Lie with Statistics

By: Darrell Huff

Narrated by: Bryan DePuy

Length: 3 hrs

Publisher's Summary

Now available in audio for the first time!

Darrell Huff's celebrated classic How to Lie With Statistics is a straightforward and engaging guide to understanding the manipulation and misrepresentation of information that could be lurking behind every graph, chart, and infographic. Originally published in 1954, it remains as relevant and necessary as ever in our digital world, where information is king - and as easy to distort and manipulate as it is to access.

A precursor to modern popular science books like Steven D. Levitt's Freakonomics and Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, Huff runs the gamut of every popularly used type of statistic; probes such things as the sample study, the tabulation method, the interview technique, and the way the results are derived from the figures; and points up the countless number of dodges that are used to full rather than to inform. Critically acclaimed by media outlets like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal and recommended by Bill Gates as a perfect beach listen, How to Lie With Statistics stands as the go-to book for understanding the use of statistics by teachers and leaders everywhere.

©1954 Estate of Darrell Huff (P)2016 Audiobooks.com Publishing

Critic Reviews

"A hilarious exploration of mathematical mendacity.... Every time you pick it up, what happens? Bang goes another illusion!" ( The New York Times)

"In one short take after another, Huff picks apart the ways in which marketers use statistics, charts, graphics and other ways of presenting numbers to baffle and trick the public. The chapter 'How to Talk Back to a Statistic' is a brilliant step-by-step guide to figuring out how someone is trying to deceive you with data." ( The Wall Street Journal)

"A great introduction to the use of statistics, and a great refresher for anyone who's already well versed in it." (Bill Gates)

No longer deceived

This book is very useful to the business minded and those continuously expanding their awareness of self and their surroundings.

What I like about the book is that it's a treasure trove of great information that can be applied to real life. Older books tend to be a little more bearable, in my opinion, because they are free of the fallacy of having to read out website links like most book made after the year 2000.

My only dislike stems from my replaying of certain parts because it's filled with so much statistical information that if you miss a number, you can't deduce the point he was trying to convey. This wouldn't be a problem for someone who is listening at home doing nothing. But for most audible listeners who must likely are driving or doing something else, It's very hard to focus on those parts.

Overall I give it a 4.7.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Dated examples but good content

This book has great content but the examples are vey dated. Pay attention to when it was originally written not when the audio book was recorded, but that's my only complaint.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great, quick listen!

What did you like best about this story?

Although this is an old book, it really made me think about false statistics and fake news...seems really applicable in today's world.

What does Bryan DePuy bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

How has this guy not narrated anything else? He was great! Really factual tone, very easy to listen to.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great book!

As a public employee with a lot of exposure to evidence based interventions, this book is a must read / listen to.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Great primer for understanding statistics

Great primer for understanding statistics and that you can't believe everything your told as statistically accurate. This book was written in 1954, so the examples are dated but no less relevant. This book should be required reading (listening) for all high school kids, as well as all adults. The book is short, well presented, and extremely useful. I highly recommend it.

it is not a book for audiobook.

the content is great but it is not for audiobook. just read the book. Naked statistics is great for audiobook though

0 of 1 people found this review helpful