Extra Curricular Reading in Statistics

by

Leland Fidler

(BB&N, AP Statistics, Class of 2006)

May 2004

	Title: Damned Lies and Statistics, J. Best, University of California Press, 2001 Description: Damned Lies and Statistics by Joel Best is a great book for understanding bad statistics and how they come to be. This looks like a good book for students to read before taking a statistics course because, as amazon.com puts it, "Understanding this book does not require sophisticated mathematical knowledge." and "Best discusses the most basic and most easily understood forms of statistic, such as percentages, averages, and rates." This book is a good introduction to statistics for someone with limited experience in the field.
	Title: How to Lie With Statistics, D. Huff, W. W. Norton, 1952 Description: How to Lie With Statistics by Darrell Huff is, while slightly dated, a very user-friendly book informing the reader about the ways in which people manipulate statistics to prove a point. Huff uses good, clear examples to show things and explain common ways where people use statistics to make things look the way they want. This book would be useful for students to read as outside reading for a statistics course with good applications of statistics in everyday life.
	Title: The Cartoon Guide to Statistics, L. Gonick and W. Smith, Harper Collins, 1993 Description: The Cartoon Guide to Statistics by Larry Gonick is a book that goes a little deeper in statistics than most in covering hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, etc. However, as amazon.com says, "[these topics are] all explained in simple, clear, and yes, funny illustrations." This book is a good way of getting students excited about using statistics and could be helpful in explaining difficult topics in a clear way.
	Title: 200% of Nothing, A.K. Dewdney, John Wiley and Sons, 1993 Description: 200% of Nothing by A.K. Dewdney is a book that helps the reader understand the ways in which people are deceived by statistics. Dewdney uses real world examples to prove his points in, as amazon.com puts it, "clear and disarming". This book sounds like a good book for students interested in applications of statistics in everyday life.
	Title: Moneyball, Michael Lewis, 2003 Description: Moneyball by Michael Lewis is a book that is less based on statistics, but portrays the ways in it is applied in major league baseball. This book is the story of how Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's, was able to use statistics to make a very solid team using very little money. This book is more about Billy Beane and the Oakland A's story than statistics, but it's a good application of statistics and I would recommend it for the baseball fan in getting excited about statistics.
	Title: Bringing Down the House, Ben Mezrich, 2003 Description: Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich, like Moneyball, is less about the actual statistics than the story of how some MIT students used statistics in forming a system of counting cards playing blackjack. They then used this system to go to casinos around the world and make millions. At the end of the book Mezrich outlines the system they used and how they used statistics to make the cards work in their favor. Again, I wouldn't recommend it for someone looking for a book about statistics, but it's a great story about how statistics was applied to the game of blackjack.
	Title: Statistics: A Guide to the Unknown, edited by Judith M. Tanur, Fredrick Mosteller, and William H. Kruskal, 1989 Desciption: Statistics: A Guide to the Unknown edited by Judith M. Tanur, Fredrick Mosteller, and William H. Kruskal is a collection of essays about how statistics is applied to everyday life. This book is heavy reading and a little dated, but has good applications and detailed descriptions of the statistics involved. I would recommend this for the intellectual statistics student looking for the ways in which it statistics relate to daily life.
	Title: Statistics You Canít Trust, Stephen Kent Campbell, Steve Campbell, and Mark V. Hall (illustrator), 1998 Description: Statistics You Canít Trust by Stephen Kent Campbell, Steve Campbell, and Mark V. Hall is a very well written user-friendly guide to how one can see through the statistics around us. As amazon.com puts it, ìA nontechnical, cartoon enhanced, tour of misuses of statistical information in everyday life.î I would recommend this book for the student who has never taken statistics and wants to know the basics that they can apply to their daily life.
	Title: The Lady Tasting Tea, David Salsburg, 2001 Description: The Lady Tasting Tea by David Salsburg is a book that describes the link between science and statistics. This book sounds good for statistics students interested in science and want to see how they relate. I have not seen this book, but from its description it sounds like it is, while interesting, a little heavier reading than the other books here.