Tim Harford is an ecomonist, best known to the general public as presenter and participant in television and radio programmes such as BBC's "Trust Me, I'm an Economist". Indeed, "How to Make the World Add Up" often references the BBC 4 "More or Less", a programme about the accuracy of numbers and statistics in the public domain. The book takes a similar approach, in that, without in any way undermining the usefulness of statistics in understanding the world around us, Harford approaches the subject with a healthy scepticism. He sets out ten rules which can help the reader question public statements based on statistics and arrive at realistic conclusions unbiased by personal prejudice or media and political spin. of statistics in understanding the world around us, Harford approaches the subject with a healthy scepticism. He sets out ten rules which can help the reader question public statements based on statistics and arrive at realistic conclusions unbiased by personal prejudice or media and political spin.

Statistic was my nightmare when I was at the university and it would have been great that someone could teach it the way Tim Harfod does.
Easy to follow, clear explanations, an interesting and informative book.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Tim Harford’s latest book sets out how to examine the numbers and statistics that we encounter in the world. The aim is to equip you with the skills you need to be able to work out what they actually mean and how important they are. I was really keen to read this because I’m not really a numbers person – I got the grades that I needed to at GCSE and then promptly dropped maths (and sciences) in favour of history, languages and literature – so I thought this would be really helpful – and it was. It sets out what to look for and how to interrogate the information that you’re given so that you can draw your own conclusions about it. A really useful book.

This book was a necessary read for me and a wake-up call. I found that I was able to acknowledge my own data biases, particularly relating to Covid 19, and I have tried to be more mindful of asking questions about the data and my own preconceptions, before reading.Harford takes apart newspaper headlines and pubicity grabbing 'scientific research' very convincingly, asking us not only to consider the accuracy of what is being reported, but the conceptualisations behind it (for example, in a report stating that 20% of teenage girls have self-harmed, the actual definition of 'self-harm' is missing).

The overall text is thought-provoking and I am glad I read it. It is however a little dry and some points were over-laboured. I find greater enjoyment listening to the More or Less podcast.



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As a huge fan of More or Less, I was very excited to be given an ARC from Netgalley.

How to Make the World Add Up is a deeply aspirational book. It convincing advocates that numbers and statistics have world-altering powers. Harford wants a world where we all better understand what these numbers mean, how they are calculated and collected, and what if anything we should do about them.

Harford's writing is full of humanity. He knows for laypeople these are complex and often messy topics but he tackles them with such good nature and humour you can't help feel enthused. The rules themselves are straightforward enough to follow and the examples Harford uses throughout to illuminate his points are thought-provoking.

Harford like the best communicators makes you feel smart for understanding the concepts he is explaining. How to Make the World Add Up features some of the best storytelling he has ever done and I think he a must-read for everyone unsure about what numbers mentioned to prove a point actually mean.

Interesting discussion with examples of how and why we need to think carefully when presented with statistics.

As a fan of 'More or Less' I knew I would find this book interesting and enlightening. In these days of pandemic it is very useful to know how to interpret all the statistics that we are bombarded with. Definitely 5 stars.

This is a lovely and useful book. It contains ten simple rules for making sense of statistics. Every day we're bombarded with hundreds of seemingly contradictory conclusions from an array of confusing statistics. How do we sort the bullish claims from the bullshit?

I was particularly impressed with the book's full throated endorsement of open data and open source. If statistics aren't public - they can't be criticised. If their methodology is secret - they can't be examined. Both are needed for a healthy statistical debate.

The thing which struck me the most was just how easy the rules are to follow. And then I was swiftly batted around the head by the realisation that I only tend to apply them to statistics I'm predisposed to disagree with. All humans are fallible - and this book is a constant reminder that we all need to up our game.

Two very mild points of criticism.

There isn't much new here. If you've been following along with the statistic discourse, or are a regular reader/listener of Tim's work. But it put together well, and provides a great overview of why we trust statistics as well as how to trust them.

Many of the statistics and anecdotes are about America. I appreciate that their hegemony looms large in our legend - but a few more stories from outside their sphere of influence would have been interesting. Perhaps, unsurprisingly, the book is being released in the USA and Canada as "The Data Detective".

Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. The book is available in all good bookshops (and, statistically, a few bad ones) now.

I am a huge fan of 'More or Less', the radio show/podcast presented by Tim Harford and so was keen to read this book. It didn't disappoint. There have been some reviews opining that Harford is the British Malcolm Gladwell and I can see the comparison but that does not make Harford's work any less valuable. For someone who loves statistics and the stories they can tell, this book is dynamite!

Fascinating and informative, whilst also giving you the tools to defend yourself in this "fake news" era.
The background and context that Tim provides whilst offering his 10 "rules" for thinking about numbers opens this book up to the non-maths fans. I learnt about the massive impact that Florence Nightingale had on improving life expectancy for all of us whilst also learning how to spot the traps in big data's predictions.

In a funny way the people who will be attracted to this book need to read it! The sceptic in me was looking forward to seeing how to debunk the crazy headlines (and it does provide you with the rules to do this). However the first rule highlighted how your own bias distorts how you read things. Tim Harford does a great job of making you read his own book with an open mind.

The book is written in Tim's usual easy to read, entertaining way. He makes you realise what little effort it takes to get to the truth behind today's soundbites and headlines. Highly recommended.

I loved this book! As a data analyst it was so interesting & I learnt so much to complement my data analysis skills. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

For the most part this was a very interesting look at the statistics that bombard us in our everyday life although I confess I drifted off on occasions and had to go back and re-read bits as I'd been carrying out other jobs in my head!

What I have taken from this is "Don't trust statistics!".

If you like the programme More or Less on Radio 4, you will love this book. As it happens, I DO like More or Less. In fact, I think Tim should be featured every day on the regular news on BBC1!
I think at least some of this book must have been serialised on Radio4 already as it seemed very familiar. Particularly the fake Vermeer story. Nevertheless, I loved it. It's the perfect example of how to present what could be a dull, boring subject in an interesting, informative and very accessible way. Entertaining too. Just like More or Less in fact!

There is a good opening here on statistics generally which I found helpful. While this books was originally published a little while ago it does appear to have been updated since the previous edition with quite a bit about Covid and statistics. Over the course of the book Tim Harford offers 10 "rules" for thinking about the numbers we see presented to us. Each rule has a chapter and the topic of the rule is discussed with pertinent illustrations using real life statistics.

The range of examples in this book is quite remarkable really. While thinking about this review I reflected on the fact that, while reading this, I learnt about both algorithms and the work of Florence Nightingale. I doubt that can be said about many books! Each chapter offers statistical examples and then considers how an ordinary person could make more sense of the information. Equally the author suggests ways we might test the veracity of the information we are given. Attention is paid to simple but potentially misleading words such as what is actually meant by "everyone" or "all - very interesting.

Tim Harford suggests we consider our own experiences to some degree at leat. An example of this would be the Transport for London statistics on average occupancy of tube trains and buses. The author feels from his own experience that he has never travelled on an "averagely" occupied service! This allows him to look at the issues with averages as well as how the data may have been collected.

Returning to algorithms I confess I was not aware that there had ever been a "Google Flu predictor" that appeared to be very accurate at predicting outbreaks of flu. After a while it ceased to be accurate. In a nutshell - no one actually knew why it worked! - beware algorithms that people don't actually understand is the message.

For me the whole book was extremely readable. Some chapters appealed more to me than others but that is inevitable. One that has stuck with me is the chapter than has information on the work of Florence Nightingale. I confess quite a bit of it came as a surprise to me. The chapter is focussed on infographics or how statistics can be presented. As someone who has from time to time presented graphs to illustrate information quite a bit of this hit home to me. The use and misuse of infographics is fascinating.

I've been a "fan" of Tim Harford for some years now due to his programmes on Radio 4. I always found them interesting and accessible - this book is very similar. Assuming you have any interest in the subject it makes for a very easy read. However it is also thought provoking and interesting. Above all Tim Harford urges the reader to "be curious" - I would suggest that anyone who is will thoroughly enjoy this book.

Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review

Amazing book, if you like stats and facts you will love this account of where we are in the world. Of course you can manipulate any figures to suit the audience however you cannot fail to be impressed with the examples given and you can seek clarification from another source. Ask the questions, seek clarification and don’t trust what you read is the clear message, collect facts and use logic to seek understanding. Some great insights given in the book and very well presented. Thank you #NetGalley for the copy.

A valuable and timely look at how statistics can be skewed, and how we as a recipient of them in our news, TV documentaries and scandal-seeking social media can best live with them. They don't all bear the weight of being fake news, but if we don't understand what is being said and for what purpose, if we don't question exactly what is being measured and how and why, and if we live in a world of not understanding the contexts of the data, then we're much better off ignoring anything to do with numbers. And that's equally vital, whether we're scrolling past some guff about coronasniffles, or are developing algorithms to triage child abuse telephone hotline calls.

As a read it won't fly out at the airports – despite a great spread of results and data from psychological and economic studies, and business anecdotes to stuff out a TED Talk, it's not going to be that five-star, best-book-of-its-kind-imaginable, wow-aren't-we-just-lucky-this-author-exists thing of wonder that appeals across a very broad range of readers. But it is coherent, it sets out very well its ambitions, of making us more aware and curious about the numbers people like to thrust at us, and it does no harm in educating us about the power of a good stat. In saying it had a major corona-rewrite, it really doesn't touch on that subject too much, and nothing would appear to prevent this having a long and healthy shelf-life.

Straightforward discussion of statistics and what to bear in mind when faced with a barrage of stats, facts and wilful misinterpretation of both!
Harford writes in a simple way and uses many examples to illustrate his argument - arguably too many as some chapters for me felt a touch repetitive. There’s a bit of a feel of a series of articles that have been extended beyond their capacity to meet a book length, but nonetheless it’s an enjoyable and informative read.

Tim Harford has given us a useful layman’s guide that explains why we should approach ideas, data and conclusions with a sense of sceptical curiosity. This is not the book for those who have studied the ideas in detail; instead, it provides a set of guides (Harford calls them commandments in a not entirely tongue in cheek manner) and a golden rule that is not especially well captured in the opening sentence of this review. There are many examples to illustrate the ideas that Harford carefully explores, as well as references to authors such as Daniel Kahneman. Many of Hartford’s themes are hugely relevant today, with particular reference to the increasing polarisation of opinion and the tendency for strongly held opinions to overrule a judgement that would honestly reflect an objective analysis of relevant evidence. As such it should be required reading. Despite covering some challenging and occasionally counter intuitive lessons the book is an easy read. Strongly recommended.

I thought How To Make The World Add Up was excellent. I expected to read a chapter or two, take a break and come back to it as I often do with dense books about science or maths, but in fact I was hooked and read it with huge enjoyment from beginning to end.

Tim Harford’s message is that statistics are a vital tool in understanding the world, but that we need to be informed, thoughtful interpreters of what we are told. We must be aware of the way in which statistics and their presentation can be misleading, either deliberately or inadvertently, and also of our own prejudices and biases in how we receive and respond to what we hear and see. Just as one example, he points out that we often respond to a statistic which supports a belief with “Can I believe this?” but to one that apparently contradicts what we want to believe with “Do I have to believe this?” which leads to very different standards of rigour when we consider them.

It’s a very important and timely message. I love that Harford isn’t just trying to debunk bogus or misleading statistical claims (although he is very good at pointing out some tactics used by those wishing to distort or deceive), but emphasises the essential role good, solid statistical data and their analysis play in our lives. He gives us ten rules to apply when confronted with a statistic to try to decide on its veracity and usefulness. They are excellent, thoughtful rules which have deepened my understanding of the world, for which I am very grateful.

Tim Harford is an excellent communicator about statistics, as fellow Loyal Listeners to his Radio 4 programme, More Or Less, will know. I think he is even better in writing, partly because he has a chance to develop his engaging style a little more and partly because the humour is genuinely humorous, while it can feel a little laboured in the broadcasts. Whatever the reason, this is a pleasure to read; it is clear, thoughtful, witty, wise, balanced and very, very interesting. Very warmly recommended.

(My thanks to Bridge Street Press for an ARC via NetGalley.)

Tim Harford is an excellent communicator on economics and all-things-statistical. His previous books, his writing for the Financial Times, and his work as presenter of More or Less on BBC radio, all make him perfectly qualified for writing this book. And yet, for me, it didn't quite live up to expectations.

In particular, I recall Harford's "Handy, postcard-sized guide to statistics" - a longish article published in the Financial Times based around advice on dealing with statistics that fit on a postcard. That article, which covers much the same ground as this book, was snappy, clear and compelling. The book, however is at times somewhat laboured - slow and repetitive. It feels like a book proposal gone wrong - a book-length version of the postcard - which failed to recognise that what made the original work so well was it's brevity.

It's a perfectly adequate book, well worth reading, on a important subject - understanding and questioning the statistical claims that fly around in the media, on social media and elsewhere. But for me, it just doesn't come to life in the way his previous work has done.

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Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance review copy, provided in return for an honest review.