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A review by ranahabib
Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World by Jevin D. West, Carl T. Bergstrom
4.0
9/10
**Great book if you want to learn how to spot false information and/or the misuse of information**
Calling Bullshit makes me want to go back and reread all the nonfiction books that I've ever read to see if I can spot bullshit.
I was worried that the book would be boring, filled with statistical jargon that I don't understand, but it was actually pretty straight forward and fun(ny).
The chapters were all pretty easy to comprehend but I did have to take my time on chapters 8&9, which discussed questioning big data and scientific research (I chalk it up to my own lack of knowledge though)
I think the most interesting thing about this bullshit is witnessing how framing and context can play such a large role in the misuse and misinterpretation of data. Majority of the time the data & science will be right, but the way it is interpreted and later explained is where the error lies. I also found the chapter on the misuse of graphs/visuals incredibly interesting.
Biggest lesson: Question everything and don't take anything at face value. Do the extra research to avoid being manipulated. And once you're sure that it's bullshit, call the bullshitter out (in private or public).
**Great book if you want to learn how to spot false information and/or the misuse of information**
Calling Bullshit makes me want to go back and reread all the nonfiction books that I've ever read to see if I can spot bullshit.
I was worried that the book would be boring, filled with statistical jargon that I don't understand, but it was actually pretty straight forward and fun(ny).
The chapters were all pretty easy to comprehend but I did have to take my time on chapters 8&9, which discussed questioning big data and scientific research (I chalk it up to my own lack of knowledge though)
I think the most interesting thing about this bullshit is witnessing how framing and context can play such a large role in the misuse and misinterpretation of data. Majority of the time the data & science will be right, but the way it is interpreted and later explained is where the error lies. I also found the chapter on the misuse of graphs/visuals incredibly interesting.
Biggest lesson: Question everything and don't take anything at face value. Do the extra research to avoid being manipulated. And once you're sure that it's bullshit, call the bullshitter out (in private or public).