What is the book on the public's knowledge of statistics that I have seen reviewed?
March 19, 2007 11:34 PM Subscribe
Help me find this quote and book on the general public's misunderstanding of statistics.
A while back I saw a review for a book in which a quote was used along the lines of, "in the twentieth century an education in statistics will as important as that in [literature?, grammar?, something else?]" As you can probably tell, I can't remember the quote properly.
The book that was being reviewed was a popular science book showing that this prediction for statistics never happened, and that people are woefully unknowledgeable about statistics. It looked pretty interesting (although evidently not interesting enough that I'd actually remember a single thing about it), so, can anybody please help me identify the quote and the book? All attempts to retrace my steps have failed.
A while back I saw a review for a book in which a quote was used along the lines of, "in the twentieth century an education in statistics will as important as that in [literature?, grammar?, something else?]" As you can probably tell, I can't remember the quote properly.
The book that was being reviewed was a popular science book showing that this prediction for statistics never happened, and that people are woefully unknowledgeable about statistics. It looked pretty interesting (although evidently not interesting enough that I'd actually remember a single thing about it), so, can anybody please help me identify the quote and the book? All attempts to retrace my steps have failed.
Best answer: The quote is probably "Statistical thinking will one day be as necessary for efficient citizenship as the ability to read and write" - HG Wells.
I think the book is most likely to be something by John Allen Paulos, if it's not Innumeracy it may be A Mathematician Reads The Newspaper.
posted by teleskiving at 2:20 AM on March 20, 2007
I think the book is most likely to be something by John Allen Paulos, if it's not Innumeracy it may be A Mathematician Reads The Newspaper.
posted by teleskiving at 2:20 AM on March 20, 2007
I see references to H.G. Wells , but don't see the citation.
posted by MtDewd at 9:46 AM on March 20, 2007
posted by MtDewd at 9:46 AM on March 20, 2007
These guys say Mankind in the Making, H.G. Wells, 1903
but I don't see it there.
posted by MtDewd at 9:57 AM on March 20, 2007
but I don't see it there.
posted by MtDewd at 9:57 AM on March 20, 2007
Response by poster: Thanks teleskiving, that is indeed the quote I was thinking of (not that it bears all that much resemblance to how I remembered it). I still can't find the exact web page I was looking at that time, but it doesn't really matter because the suggested titles all look like the sort of thing I was after. Thanks all!
posted by chorltonmeateater at 11:33 AM on March 20, 2007
posted by chorltonmeateater at 11:33 AM on March 20, 2007
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Innumeracy
and
How to Lie with Statistics
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:47 PM on March 19, 2007