Naked Statistics：Stripping the Dread from the Data

Thebest-sellingauthorofNakedEconomicsdefiestheoddswithabookaboutstatisticsthatyou’llwelcomeandenjoy.Onceconsideredtedious,thefieldofstatisticsisrapidlyevolvingintoadisciplineHalVarian,chiefeconomistatGoogle,hasactuallycalled“sexy.”Frombattingaveragesandpoliticalpollstogameshowsandmedicalresearch,thereal-worldapplicationofstatisticscontinuestogrowbyleapsandbounds.Howcanwecatchschoolsthatcheatonstandardizedtests?HowdoesNetflixknowwhichmoviesyou’lllike?Whatiscausingtherisingincidenceofautism?Asbest-sellingauthorCharlesWheelanshowsusinNakedStatistics,therightdataandafewwell-chosenstatisticaltoolscanhelpusanswerthesequestionsandmore.ForthosewhosleptthroughStats101,thisbookisalifesaver.Wheelanstripsawaythearcaneandtechnicaldetailsandfocusesontheunderlyingintuitionthatdrivesstatisticalanalysis.Heclarifieskeyconceptssuchasinference,correlation,andregressionanalysis,revealshowbiasedorcarelesspartiescanmanipulateormisrepresentdata,andshowsushowbrilliantandcreativeresearchersareexploitingthevaluabledatafromnaturalexperimentstotacklethornyquestions.AndinWheelan’strademarkstyle,there’snotadullpageinsight.You’llencountercleverSchlitzBeermarketersleveragingbasicprobability,anInternationalSausageFestivalilluminatingthetenetsofthecentrallimittheorem,andahead-scratchingchoicefromthefamousgameshowLet’sMakeaDeal—andyou’llcomeawaywithinsightseachtime.Withthewit,accessibility,andsheerfunthatturnedNakedEconomicsintoabestseller,Wheelandefiestheoddsyetagainbybringinganotheressential,formerlyunglamorousdisciplinetolife.