Truth or Truthiness

Fracking is safe. Fracking causes earthquakes. Our kids are over-tested. Our kids aren’t tested enough. We read claims and counter-claims like these every day in our newspapers, often with no justification or evidence other than "it feels right"—intuitively a phenomenon labeled “truthiness.” But how can we figure out what is actually right?

Escaping from the clutches of "truthiness" begins with one question: “what is the evidence?” With his trademark verve and irreverence, Howard Wainer shows how to evaluate the evidence—or lack thereof—supporting various claims, from the efficacy of school test scores to the impact of race on student performance, and offers a refreshing fact-based view of complex problems in a variety of fields. Data science holds the new key to becoming an informed citizen. This revealing book is a must-read for anyone interested in distinguishing fact from fiction in the often murky worlds of journalism, politics, PR and spin.