Thursday, November 15, 2007

If we are going to toss around statistics...

Before I begin any discussion on the posting on the bad4shidduchim blog site, I would like to recommend the following works to my readers. The first is out of print but readily available in used copies (Amazon had it for the price of one cent.) If you read just one, start with Dr. Best's first book. He writes so that the reader can understand what is being presented, not always the case in books by academics, and yes, he has a sometimes biting sense of humor; in short, a good read even if it is about numbers. Much of the discussion of the shidduch "crisis" centers around statistics, statistics that are widely divergent, statistics that seem to be used to prove two opposite things at the same time. These books may help you to put those statistics into perspective.


"Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

"Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers from the Media, Politicians and Activists" by Joel Best

"More Damned Lies and Statistics--how Numbers Confuse Public Issues" by Joel Best

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