News and Numbers A Writer's Guide to

Numbers and statistical claims dominate today's news. Politics, budgets, crime analysis, medical issues, and sports reporting all demand numbers. Now in its third edition, News & Numbers focuses on how to evaluate statistical claims in science, health, medicine, and politics. It does so by helping readers answer three key questions about all scientific studies, polls, and other statistical claims: "What can I believe?" "What does it mean?" and "How can I explain it to others?"

Updated throughout, this long overdue third edition brings this classic text up-to-date with the 21st century with a complete updating of examples, case studies, and stories. The text emphasises clear thinking and common sense approaches for understanding, analyzing and explaining statistics, and terms throughout the book are explained in easy-to-understand, nontechnical language. Much new material has been added to ensure the text maintains its pertinent approach to the subject, including:

A section on computer modelling
Additional chapters on risks and 'missing numbers'
Updated sections on health plans and insurance, including updates on President Obama's health system overhaul & new material on health care costs and quality

The late Victor Cohn, called the “Dean of Science Writers” was the prize-winning science editor and writer for The Washington Post for 25 years. He was cited as one of the top science writers by The New York Times and Newsweek, co-founded the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing and served as president of the National Association of Science Writers.

Lewis Cope was science writer at the Star Tribune of Minneapolis-St. Paul for 29 years and, like Cohn, the recipient of numerous awards. Cope formerly served as president of the National Association of Science Writers.

Deborah Cohn Runkle is a Senior Program Associate at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

A Note to Our Readers	p. vii
ATribute to Victor Cohn, 1919-2000	p. ix
Foreword	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Notes on Sources	p. xv
Learning the Basics	p. 1
A Guide to Part I of News & Numbers	p. 2
Where We Can Do Better	p. 3
The Certainty of Uncertainty	p. 8
Testing the Evidence	p. 15
What Makes a Good Study?	p. 37
Your Questions and Peer Review	p. 54
Now Down to Specifics	p. 69
A Guide to Part II of News & Numbers	p. 70
Tests and Drug Trials	p. 71
Vital Statistics	p. 83
Health Costs, Quality, and Insurance	p. 97
Our Environment	p. 108
Writing About Risks	p. 124
Polls	p. 133
Statistical Savvy for Many Types of News	p. 145
Epilogue	p. 161
Glossary	p. 163
Bibliography	p. 170
Index	p. 173
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

FREE SHIPPING

Rent More, Save More! Use code: BBRENTAL

5% off 1 book, 7% off 2 books, 10% off 3+ books

News and Numbers A Writer's Guide to Statistics

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials