In Zero, Charles Seife presented readers with a thrilling account of the strangest number known to humankind. Now he shows readers how the power of skewed metrics-or "proofiness"- is being used to alter perception in both amusing and dangerous ways. Proofiness is behind such bizarre stories as a mathematical formula for the perfect butt and sprinters who can run faster than the speed of sound. But proofiness also has a dark side: bogus mathematical formulas used to undermine our democracy-subverting our justice system, fixing elections, and swaying public opinion with lies. By doing the real math, Seife elegantly and good-humoredly scrutinizes our growing obsession with metrics while exposing those who misuse them.
How You're Being Fooled by the Numbers
Paperback
Age range: + years old
Publication Date: 27/09/2011
From the author of Zero, comes this "admirable salvo against quantitative bamboozlement by the media and the government" (The Boston Globe)
- ISBN:
- 9780143120070
- 9780143120070
- Category:
- History of mathematics
- Age range:
- + years old
- Format:
- Paperback
- Publication Date:
- 27-09-2011
- Language:
- English
- Publisher:
- Penguin Publishing Group
- Country of origin:
- United States
- Dimensions (mm):
- 200.66x132.08x15.24mm
- Weight:
- 0.27kg
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