Friday, June 8, 2012

Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics

Disraeli said it. Mark Twain popularized it.

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."

It describes the persuasive power of numbers to bolster weak arguments.

If you'd like to read a classic, non-technical, book on the subject, then How to Lie with Statistics, by Darrell Huff is a good place to start.