Studies Show: A Popular Guide to Understanding Scientific Studies. - book reviews

Nutrition Forum, Sept-Oct, 1997 by Manfred Kroger

Almost daily we hear about this or that study telling us about health risks, human behavior, environmental pollution, social trends, the benefits of nutrients or supplements, and much more. The decisions of consumers, professionals, and public policy makers are greatly influenced by these "news flashes." Original reports are largely incomprehensible to lay readers because they are addressed to research peers. The rest of us receive filtered, popularized, interpreted, simplified, condensed versions. That is good, but also reason for concern in that we now must also critically examine the secondary report which may or may not be accurate. Most studies suffer from scientific jargon and the intricacies of the subject itself, and research findings are invariably given various "mysterious" statistical examinations. These make the results meaningful. However, if and when data manipulation is misapplied, the conclusion of a study will become meaningless. John H. Fennick is a professional statistics analyst and just the right person to give us a clear, even humorous, introduction to statistics and steer us clear of such pitfalls. If you are a willing student, his book can enhance your critical thinking as well as help you make sense of science news reports. Your level of numeracy will rise and benefit you ever after.

In a lighthearted, conversational way, he takes us not only through the statistics vocabulary (average, sampling, correlation, confidence level, variable, variance, distribution, standard deviation, null hypothesis, probability, linear regression analysis, etc.), but also into the realm of statistical gamesmanship, risk analysis, and decision making based on data, facts, and scientific evidence (as opposed to emotions, wishful thinking, political expediency, or whatever other human frailty). An educated citizen must know about numbers and their meanings. The statistically challenged person will always be subject to fraud, trickery, and exploitation. This book is like a roadmap guiding you through the news of science and technology.