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Is That a Fact? A Field Guide for Evaluating Statistical and Scientific Information, by Mark Battersby
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We are inundated by scientific and statistical information, but what should we believe? How much should we trust the polls on the latest electoral campaign? When a physician tells us that a diagnosis of cancer is 90% certain or a scientist informs us that recent studies support global warming, what should we conclude? How can we acquire reliable statistical information? Once we have it, how do we evaluate it? Despite the importance of these questions to our lives, many of us have only a vague idea of how to answer them. In this admirably clear and engaging book, Mark Battersby provides a practical guide to thinking critically about scientific and statistical information. The goal of the book is not only to explain how to identify misleading statistical information, but also to give readers the understanding necessary to evaluate and use statistical and statistically based scientific information in their own decision making.
- Sales Rank: #990600 in Books
- Published on: 2009-12-03
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 6.00" h x .0" w x 9.00" l, 1.10 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 240 pages
Review
"Mark Battersby's Is That a Fact? is a readable, entertaining, reliable and useful guide to an important life skill in today's complex world: understanding, evaluating and using statistical information and reports of scientific research. Using a framework of four "critical questions" (What does the claim mean? How good is the evidence? What else is relevant? What are the fallacies?), Battersby takes the reader through the topics of polling, data, graphs, correlations and causes, and scientific claims. He then shows how to use the information one has evaluated to make decisions. Is That a Fact? is studded with extensive discussions of real-life examples that touch on matters of concern to everyone, such as the health risks of second-hand smoke and of cell-phone use. It is amply illustrated with figures, charts and well-drawn cartoons that vividly bring home key points." (David Hitchcock)
"Is That a Fact? provides an entertaining and enlightening tour of the often confusing world of probability and statistics, always with an eye on their proper role in good reasoning. A delightful discussion that beautifully clarifies what is all too often confusing or just plain confused. The book help will ordinary citizens to better understand and evaluate all sorts of scientific claims as they occur in the popular press and public policy debates. Hats off to Mark Battersby!" (Harvey Siegel)
"One of the intellectual currents of our time has been a revolution in the study of reasoning and argument. Philosophers and other academics have broadened their horizons and turned their attention to the study and analysis of the reasoning, arguments and attempts at persuasion that inundate our lives. Mark Battersby has been an integral part of the movement in this direction. In Is That A Fact? he provides an engaging and thoroughly readable introduction to critical thinking on statistical and scientific claims. It can usefully inform the thinking of everyone who has to contend with such claims in their professional or personal lives." (Leo Groarke)
"Using timely and important examples, Professor Battersby provides a careful and well-documented discussion of statistics, and does this without sacrificing liveliness or readability. Is That a Fact? is a fascinating book about statistics to give to all your friends." (Trudy Govier)
"Is That a Fact? should be compulsory reading for every journalist, especially anyone calling themselves a 'science writer' or 'investigative reporter'. This sometimes humorous and well illustrated guide to the world of data, graphs, and statistics is well written and fun to read. Finally we learn the difference between a correlation and an association and how to tell one from the other. Battersby also shows how to spot classic fallacies of reasoning, and how to read scientific articles with a critical eye. Highly recommended." (Barry Shell)
From the Back Cover
We are inundated by scientific and statistical information, but what should we believe? How much should we trust the polls on the latest electoral campaign? When a physician tells us that a diagnosis of cancer is 90% certain or a scientist informs us that recent studies support global warming, what should we conclude? How can we acquire reliable statistical information? Once we have it, how do we evaluate it? Despite the importance of these questions to our lives, many of us have only a vague idea of how to answer them. In this admirably clear and engaging book, Mark Battersby provides a practical guide to thinking critically about scientific and statistical information. The goal of the book is not only to explain how to identify misleading statistical information, but also to give readers the understanding necessary to evaluate and use statistical and statistically based scientific information in their own decision making.
About the Author
Mark Battersby is Professor of Philosophy at Capilano University.
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Applies critical thinking to everyday life
By Olivia Allred
Is That a Fact? by Mark Battersby is a very well-written and well-organized piece of writing about critical thinking of statistics. Battersby’s style is very similar to that of, Asking the Right Questions, by M. Neil Browne and Stuart M. Keeley in the fact that there is a repetitive format for all of the chapters in each of the books. Battersby’s guide to statistical and scientific information is informative while also enjoyable to read.
Battersby’s guide is about how to analyze statistical information and through critical thinking methods, decide whether the statistics support the claim, or not. Each chapter is about some form of statistics, whether it is polling, graphs or sampling and is followed by examples and a series of two to three critical thinking questions. This formatting allows the reader to be interactive with the book. Being given a real-life example of something can really help to solidify a concept in the readers mind.
There are questions following the breakdown of the topic, which encourage the reader to apply what they are learning while they read. This structuring of information is a very effective way to prepare the reader for application of the information they are learning in the real world. For example, in chapter 3, Polling: The Basics, Battersby gives an example of a poll about “Kyoto.” He then proceeds to ask the two big questions, “What is being claimed?” and “How good is the evidence?” Battersby explains, “The way the question is worded is one of the first things to look at in assessing how good the evidence for a poll’s claim is” (Battersby 25). The writing and the layout of this book are at a level that seems to be directed at the general public; Battersby avoids using jargon that may deter the readers from grasping the concept completely.
One more technique that should be appreciated about Battersby’s writing is his fluidity. Battersby has mastered the concept that fluidity is key when trying to successfully convey a message to a reader. Battersbys’ use of footnotes allows the reader to finish one train of thought before seeking out another. If there is a topic that may have some discrepancy or may be unclear, Battersby has provided a footnote in order to further explain or clarify said topic.
Although one of Battersby’s main points is to not put too much emphasis on personal stories, testimonies, or anecdotes, Battersby uses numerous personal stories in his book. In his first footnote on page 2, he gives his disclaimer about his use of stories. “Throughout the text I advise against putting too much reliance on stories and anecdotes, but here I am giving an anecdote in aid of my argument. Hypocrisy? Not really. Anecdotes are memorable and edifying. They have a role to play in explanation and instruction. Anecdotes are a problem only when they are used as evidence for a sweeping generalization. However, here I am not using the story as evidence of a generalization but as an illustration” (Battersby 2). The fact that Battersby provided this disclaimer to his readers gives him reliability and accountability. It is clear he wants his readers to feel as though they can and should trust the information he is giving them.
Battersby’s writing is completely the opposite of credulous. The entire purpose of his book is to encourage people to be more skeptical of the scientific and statistical information they are receiving from the media. He wants to equip the general public with the skills necessary to think critically and make informed decisions about the information portrayed in the media. All too often, people assume someone who makes a claim with out any valid proof to be correct because of their authority or because they are inexperienced in that particular area. It is Battersby’s goal to remind us that just because something may sound accurate, doesn’t mean it is. Battersby provides the essential skills in this book to prepare the reader to dig deeper and not just believe something because it sounds right.
This book has been written in order to apply to a very general group of people. Battersby covers the topic of using critical thinking to analyze the often-confusing world of probability and statistics that the popular press and media portrays to us daily. In order to make these puzzling subjects applicable to the general public, he uses everyday issues such as cell-phone use and the health hazards created by tobacco. Also, in order to further simplify some of the more complicated subjects such as making educated causal inferences, Battersby provides charts and illustrations in order to clarify his descriptions, such as the graph on page 149.
A notable and defining feature about this book is Battersby’s talent of not only telling and showing the reader how to rationalize and evaluate the plethora of deceiving information produced by the media on a daily basis, but also his ability to prepare the reader to do it on their own.
Overall, this book should be read by everyone because is it a necessity to gain the knowledge and ability to comprehend the massive amount of misleading information sent to the public through the various forms of media. This book is the perfect option for anyone in any field of work who is searching to gain a better grasp of the world around them and attain a better understanding of the decisions they make.
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