Darrell Huff

How to Lie with Statistics

1. IDEA 1

   Statistics can mislead easily

   Huff's short, witty book shows how numbers can be used to mislead people, whether deliberately or by accident. He argues that understanding these tricks helps readers protect themselves from false impressions.

2. IDEA 2

   Samples can be biased

   Huff explains that conclusions from surveys depend on who is asked. A biased sample, such as only asking certain people, gives misleading results. So a result from a small or hand-picked group may not be true for everyone.

3. IDEA 3

   Averages can be chosen to suit

   Huff shows that the word average can mean mean, median or mode, which can give very different numbers. People may choose whichever suits their argument. So whenever someone quotes an average, it is wise to ask which kind they mean.

All 8 ideas from How to Lie with Statistics →