Counting: how we use numbers to decide what matters
What do people do when they count? What do numbers really mean? We all know that people can lie with statistics, but in this groundbreaking work, eminent political scientist Deborah Stone uncovers a much deeper problem. With help from Dr. Seuss and Cookie Monster, she explains why numbers can’t be objective: in order to count, one must first decide what counts. Every number is the ending to a story built on cultural assumptions, social conventions, and personal judgments.
And yet, in this age of big data and metric mania, numbers shape almost every facet of our lives: whether we get hired, fired, or promoted; whether we get into college or out of prison; how our opinions are gathered and portrayed to politicians; or how government designs health and safety regulations. In warm and playful prose, Counting explores what happens when we measure nebulous notions like merit, race, poverty, pain, or productivity.
And yet, in this age of big data and metric mania, numbers shape almost every facet of our lives: whether we get hired, fired, or promoted; whether we get into college or out of prison; how our opinions are gathered and portrayed to politicians; or how government designs health and safety regulations. In warm and playful prose, Counting explores what happens when we measure nebulous notions like merit, race, poverty, pain, or productivity.
Counting featured in The New Yorker
praise for counting: how we use numbers to decide what matters
A delightful takedown of our unreasonable worship of numbers. . . As Stone lays out her examples of irrational faith in numbers, readers will squirm, but not with disbelief. . . . Enthralling evidence that there is less to numbers than meets the eye.
— Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Deborah Stone’s inspired book could not be better timed. Endless arguments about how to construct and understand COVID-19 statistics prove her point—ostensibly objective numbers are never neutral. Stone brings to this endeavor her signature brilliance at demystifying daunting topics.
— Robert Kuttner, coeditor of American Prospect
Anyone who believes that 2 × 30 is equal to 3 × 20 is in for a delightful surprise. — Charles Wheelan, author of Naked Statistics
Required reading for anyone who’s interested in the truth. — Robert B. Reich, Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley
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The outdoors can be like a gym where you can run, jump and climb. It can be like a theater where you can see amazing and beautiful scenery. But did you ever think of using the outdoors as a playground for your imagination? This film will show you how to create fantasy creatures in the woods and how to make up fun stories about them.
