Bad Data: How Governments, Politicians and the Rest of Us Get Misled by Numbers

BAD DATA is an incisive and urgently needed book that provides a penetrating analysis of why statistical literacy matters to our politics and daily lives. It reveals how governments have been led astray by figures littered with inconsistency, guesswork, and uncertainty, and suggests how we can make more informed choices about who to trust and when.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 02 November 2023
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the power and limitations of data in our modern world, BAD DATA is a thought-provoking and urgently needed book by Tim Harford. An entertaining introduction to the uses (and misuses) of data, it provides a penetrating analysis of why statistical literacy matters to our politics and our daily lives.

In BAD DATA, House of Commons Library statistician Georgina Sturge takes readers on a journey to uncover the truth behind the numbers that shape our world. She reveals how governments of the past and present have been led astray by figures littered with inconsistency, guesswork, and uncertainty. From the troubling to the empowering to the downright absurd, BAD DATA uncovers secrets from the usually closed-off world of policy-making.

Sturge begins by examining the use of data in politics, where misleading statistics and fake news have become a major threat to democracy. She shows how politicians can use data to support their agendas, even when it is inaccurate or misleading, and how this can have serious consequences for society. She also highlights the importance of statistical literacy in helping citizens to discern between reliable and unreliable sources of information.

In the second part of the book, Sturge explores the use of data in business and economics. She shows how companies can use data to optimize their operations, but also how they can be misled by misleading statistics and bad data analysis. She also discusses the impact of data on inequality and social justice, highlighting how data can be used to perpetuate existing biases and discrimination.

Sturge also takes a closer look at the use of data in healthcare and public health. She shows how data can be used to improve patient outcomes, but also how it can be misused or misinterpreted. She highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in the use of data, and how this can help to prevent healthcare fraud and abuse.

Throughout BAD DATA, Sturge provides examples of how data can be used to both empower and disempower individuals and communities. She shows how data can be used to advocate for social change, but also how it can be used to justify oppressive policies and practices. She encourages readers to become more critical of the data they encounter and to seek out sources of information that are reliable and trustworthy.

In conclusion, BAD DATA is an essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the power and limitations of data in our modern world. It is a thought-provoking and urgently needed book by Tim Harford that provides a penetrating analysis of why statistical literacy matters to our politics and our daily lives. By uncovering the truth behind the numbers, BAD DATA helps us to make more informed choices about who to trust and when.

Weight: 232g
Dimension: 126 x 198 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780349128634