An informative, useful book. Edmans attempts to show us the danger in statements like “studies show that…” Do they? How do we know? How can we avoid falling for misinformation or disinformation? He begins the book with a warning against two cognitive biases: confirmation bias and black-and-white thinking. He then goes through a lengthy process of explaining how to climb the “ladder of misinference,” showing how to go from statement, to fact, to evidence, to proof. (Or, rather, NOT to proof, since it’s very hard to definitively “prove” most things outside of a hard science context.) He ends with some ideas of what we can do as individuals, organizations, and societies in order to better evaluate information and make better decisions. I especially liked the quick-reference checklist in the appendix. To be clear: none of this is groundbreaking methodology. But it’s neatly laid out in one place and an excellent primer for how to evaluate claims you encounter in your everyday life, whether in a Facebook post, a news segment, a self-help book, or a water-cooler argument.