Numbers saturate the news, politics, and life. For good or ill, they are today's preeminent public language-and those who speak it rule. Journalist Michael Blastland and internationally known economist Andrew Dilnot delight, entertain, and convert math-phobes by showing us how everyday experiences make sense of numbers. Their premise is a simple one. The average person can use basic knowledge and common sense to put the never-ending onslaught of facts and figures in their proper place. If you have ever wondered what "average" really means, whether the scare stories about cancer risk should convince you to change your behavior, or whether a story you read in the paper is biased (and how), you need this book. Wherever numbers are used, or abused, there are simple tricks and techniques to cut through the bad and turn the good to our advantage. With a wealth of examples, from tax and spending, crime and climate, to the duration of a pregnancy or counting fish, you'll be amused, inspired, and empowered.

Book jacket.