How to Lie with Statistics

How to Lie with Statistics is considered a classical text on statistical literacy. Decades after its publication in 1954, it remains relevant to topical issues and continues to be widely used as an introductory text to statistics. This is due to the accessibility of its writing and the examples Darrell Huff uses to illustrate his points.

This book received critical acclaim upon its release, including two positive reviews from The New York Times. In recent years, it was featured in articles such as 2014’s “Best Books for Investors: A Short Shelf” by Jason Zweig for The Wall Street Journal. It also received praise from Bill Gates due to its relevant subject matter. To this day, How to Lie with Statistics remains one of the best-selling and most-read books on statistics. The English version has sold over one million copies and been translated into 22 languages.

The immediate and longstanding success of the book can be attributed to several factors. Huff’s writing uses humor, an informal tone, and easy-to-understand examples and anecdotes. The text’s approachability is also supported by the cartoon illustrations of Irving Geis and its attention-grabbing title. The common theme of these factors is that they make it easy for the general reader to connect with the book’s material.