May contain lies : how stories, statistics, and studies exploit our biases -- and what we can do about it / Alex Edmans.
| Author/creator | Edmans, Alex author. |
| Format | Electronic |
| Publication | Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2024] |
| Copyright Date | ©2024 |
| Description | 1 online resource (328 pages) : illustrations. |
| Supplemental Content | EBSCOhost |
| Subjects |
| Contents | Part I. The biases. Confirmation bias -- Black-and-white thinking -- Part II. The problems. A statement is not fact -- A fact is not data -- Data is not evidence: data mining -- Data is not evidence: causation -- When data is evidence -- Evidence is not proof -- Part III. The solutions. Thinking smarter as individuals -- Creating organizations that think smarter -- Creating societies that think smarter -- Appendix. A checklist for smarter thinking. |
| Abstract | "Our lives are minefields of misinformation. It ripples through our social media feeds, our daily headlines, and the pronouncements of politicians, executives, and authors. Stories, statistics, and studies are everywhere, allowing people to find evidence to support whatever position they want. Many of these sources are flawed, yet by playing on our emotions and preying on our biases, they can gain widespread acceptance, warp our views, and distort our decisions. In this eye-opening book, renowned economist Alex Edmans teaches us how to separate fact from fiction. Using colorful examples--from a wellness guru's tragic but fabricated backstory to the blunders that led to the Deepwater Horizon disaster to the diet that ensnared millions yet hastened its founder's death--Edmans highlights the biases that cause us to mistake statements for facts, facts for data, data for evidence, and evidence for proof. Armed with the knowledge of what to guard against, he then provides a practical guide to combat this tide of misinformation. Going beyond simply checking the facts and explaining individual statistics, Edmans explores the relationships between statistics--the science of cause and effect--ultimately training us to think smarter, sharper, and more critically. May Contain Lies is an essential read for anyone who wants to make better sense of the world and better decisions." -- Provided by publisher. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Source of description | Online resource; title from PDF title page (ProQuest Ebook Central platform, viewed July 29, 2024). |
| Issued in other form | Print version: Edmans, Alex. May contain lies. Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2024] 0520405854 |
| LCCN | 2024933460 |
| ISBN | 9780520403956 (electronic book) |
| ISBN | 0520403959 (electronic book) |
| ISBN | (hardcover) |
| ISBN | (hardcover) |
| ISBN | (paperback) |
| Stock number | D1C9E111-CD00-42AF-802F-F64E063E8EA3 OverDrive, Inc. http://www.overdrive.com |