disinformation
Product details
- ISBN 9781394379781
- Weight: 612g
- Dimensions: 163 x 231mm
- Publication Date: 27 Apr 2026
- Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
- Publication City/Country: US
- Product Form: Hardback
Secure
checkout
Fast Shipping
Easy returns
Dig deep to discover the truth about numbers and statistics in the media
Wrong Number: How to Extract Truth From a Blizzard of Quantitative Disinformation shows readers how to diagnose statistical errors in journal articles and media accounts of prominent public issues. In addition to the mistakes or tricks with numbers other people use to lose the truth, this book also offers more positive material, showing how to use numbers to find truth.
Written by Aaron Brown, prominent media figure, former professor, sports bettor, and poker player, and host of the popular ReasonTV series Wrong Number, this book answers questions including:
- Did California’s minimum wage hike really create more jobs?
- Do studies show that weed causes strokes and heart attacks?
- Are poor geniuses being shut out of science?
- What is the real health risk of vaping?
- Does gun control work?
Wrong Number: How to Extract Truth From a Blizzard of Quantitative Disinformation is an entertaining and eye-opening read for students in quantitative programs of study, along with all individuals curious as to whether or not they’re being told the truth from their favorite media organizations.
AARON BROWN has used numbers to make bets and investigate questions all his life. He was playing poker in tavern backrooms and winning at the horse races while still in middle school. He was one of the top professional poker players in the 1970s and 80s, and is also successful in sports betting, advantage casino play and prediction market trading. Brown moved to Wall Street in the early 1980s to use the same skills as a trader, portfolio manager, head of mortgage securities and risk manager for top global financial institutions. He is a former Chief Risk Officer at AQR and winner of the 2011 GARP Risk Manager of the Year award. Brown holds degrees in applied mathematics from Harvard and finance and statistics from the University of Chicago. He has taught mathematics and finance at New York University, Columbia, and other institutions. Brown publishes frequently in academic and professional literature, and has served as a statistician on hundreds of scientific studies. He has been a data and methodology reviewer for major scientific journals. His previous books are The Poker Face of Wall Street, Red-Blooded Risk, A World of Chance, and Financial Risk Management for Dummies.
