Probably the Best Book on Statistics Ever Written: How to Beat the Odds and Make Better Decisions

Summary

Taking an amusing and digestible look at the usually dry world of probability and statistics, this is the ultimate guide to how you can incorporate them into everyday life, from one of the world’s most sought-after experts in game theory.

This book reveals how statistics and probability are fundamental to our everyday lives—from advertisements to public opinion polls, weather forecasts to government policies, scientific research to stock market information. Haim Shapira then presents a myriad of anecdotes, riddles, case studies and practical exercises in his trademark witty voice to guide the reader through the importance of statistics and probability in everyday life. Some examples include:

• making sense of NBA stats—discover who is the greatest scorer of all time
• a beginner’s guide to gambling successfully
• why events of very low probability have happened, are happening and will happen
• what role stats have to play in flat-earth conspiracy arguments
• the likelihood of winning the lottery
• misconceptions about statistical findings surrounding COVID-19
• what “beyond reasonable doubt” really means
• a case of misunderstood probabilities in the Sally Clarke and OJ Simpson trials

With easy-to-follow explanations, tables and graphs of all the maths behind the statistics—averages, standard deviation, percentiles, logarithmic scales, correlation coefficient—this book provides everything you need to know to determine your options and calculate your chance of success, thereby learning to make better decisions.