Calling Bullshit : The Art

of Scepticism in a Data-
Driven World
 By
Jevin D. West
Penguin Books Ltd
 An indispensable handbook to the art of scepticism from two
brilliantly contrarian scientists.

We think we know bullshit when we hear it, but do we?

Politicians are unconstrained by facts. Science is conducted by press

release. Start-up culture elevates hype to high art. The world is
awash in bullshit, and we're drowning in it.

Based on a popular course at the University of Washington, this

book gives us the tools to see through the obfuscations, deliberate
and careless, that dominate every realm of our lives. In this lively,
provocative guide, biologist Carl Bergstrom and information
scientist Jevin West show that calling out nonsense is crucial to a
properly functioning social group, whether it be a circle of friends, a
community of researchers, or the citizens of a nation. Through six
rules of thumb, they help us to recognize when numbers are being
manipulated, to cut through the crap wherever we encounter it -
even within ourselves - and learn how to give the real facts to a
crystal-loving friend or climate change denier uncle.

Penguin Books Ltd

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