Proofiness

Proofiness: The Dark Arts of Mathematical Deception
By Charles Seife
Viking, 2010. 295 pgs. Nonfiction.

Each day we encounter statistics and figures presented to inform or persuade. We rely on them to accurately represent reality. But Charles Seife’s new book is filled with reasons why we should be hesitant to accept the validity of many figures. Advertisers present findings out of context, politicians manipulate poll results, expert witnesses provide misleading numbers with which to sway judges and juries, and journalists “cherry pick” sensationalized data to draw an audience.

While Seife’s writing is somewhat snarky in tone, he presents statistical and mathematical concepts in an approachable and entertaining manner. His examples of mathematical manipulation and statistical deception clearly (and at some times embarrassingly) demonstrate how easily society can be misinformed. But, my favorite aspect of this book by far is Seife’s word choice, phrasing, and ability to create his own lexicon. I find it hilarious. For example, he writes of how our “minds revolt at the idea of randomness.” He has titled our tendency to create patterns out of entirely chaotic data “randumness”. This is a great piece of science writing perfect for anyone interested in math, statistics, or political, journalistic, or judicial ethics.

CZ