Putting everything in context
How to Read Numbers: A Guide to Statistics in the News must be fascinating and insightful. It was very hard to find a good eBook copy anywhere online or a more detailed review as on many other books covered before. As I struggled to find the book summaries online in vain, I remembered my own struggles with math and other complicated lessons in primary school and later in high school. Was I probably misled into believing some of these subjects were more complex than others by my frustration and bad experiences?
Confessing my challenges must be a good starting point; I don’t like mathematics, and I wouldn’t say I like statistics. I became jealous of two cousins (Tom and David), who are so intelligent and talented in subjects that most people find too difficult to try (or am I the only one?). “David is an assistant professor of economics at Durham University, while Tom is a science writer and author, including of another excellent book, The Rationalist’s Guide To The Galaxy.”[1] I realized as I searched that different people agree on how fun and easy reading the book is, which made my anxiety a little less, and I wondered whether to order it for further reading. “A charming, practical, and insightful guide. You might not even notice how much you’re learning – you’ll be too busy having fun.”[2]
I realized there was someone to blame all the time, like Teacher Martin, who always made me drop down on the floor in class in front of students thrashing me with a huge cane until his anger had subsidized. Sometimes we knew the beating was inevitable due to the color of his shirt or the look on his face as he entered the class!
Perhaps the secret to success in teaching or learning seemingly difficult courses must be to find ways to make it fun. That is what makes How to Read Numbers a pleasant book to read, and it solves common mistakes and tricks that are added to a news story or a different kind of material to mislead you into believing the lie. “This book will help you spot common mistakes and tricks that can mislead you into thinking that small numbers are big or unimportant changes are important.”[3]
As I continue my confession, I am reminded of precisely when and where this fear and hatred of math started in Uganda. It was the time that I struggled to navigate this Anglophone education as a child refugee. I remember horrible times when students found everything about me amusing and made fun of me at every step as I tried to learn! The way I pronounced English words, my name, and much more, children can sometimes be brutal. In normal circumstances, children aged 20 are at the university. Yet, here I was, attempting to sit for my PLE (Primary Living Examination) in Uganda, trying to enter Secondary school (High School). As soon as I made it to High School, a few courses were optional, and anything complicated had to go, including Biology, Chemistry, physics, etc.; I struggled with math a little longer since it was compulsory, but I dropped it as soon as possible.
Now that I shared part of my backstage experiences, why is it so complicated to some and so easy to others? Like in journalism and statistics, I think the way we approach a subject and the biases we bring will make a difference in how our experience evolves.
First, “Ask yourself: is that a big number? If Britain dumps 6 million tons of sewage in the North Sea each year, that sounds pretty. But is it a lot? What’s the denominator? What numbers do you need to understand, whether that is more or less than you’d expect? In this case, for instance, it’s probably relevant that the North Sea Contains 54 thousand billion tons of water”[4]
I found the Statistical Style Guide from David and Tom very useful, where they share several ideas that I will not have a chance to share in detail. The first one on the guide makes much more sense (Put numbers into context). As it applies to numbers, I believe every time we are ready to interpret anything that appears complete, putting everything in context would help us make informed decisions.
[1] Tim Harford, “How to Read Numbers,” Big Issue (2021), accessed November 8, 2022, https://tinyurl.com/yr4utvnc.
[2] Stephen Bush, “How to Read Numbers by Tom Chivers and David Chivers: Light and Fun,” Hachette (May 16, 2021), accessed November 8, 2022, https://tinyurl.com/4jfhjhwd.
[3] Tom Chivers and David Chivers, “How to Read Numbers: A Guide to Stats in the News,” Goodreads (January 1, 2021), https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/57423312.
[4] Tom Chivers and David Chivers, How to Read Numbers: A Guide to Statistics in the News (and Knowing When to Trust Them) (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2021).
About the Author
Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe
Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe is a Clinical Correctional Chaplain and former Child Refugee from War-torn Rwanda. A member of the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team, Jean is passionate about Servant Leadership and looks forward to seeing more leaders that inspire Lasting Peace and Justice for all, especially "the least of these".10 responses to “Putting everything in context”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Jean,
I cannot even imagine beating a child in class – or anywhere. Much less, imagine being the child. How awful! It is no wonder you do not care for math or statistics today.
Tonette – You are such a blessing. I have been appreciative of your kindness from the first time we met. The kids you teach are blessed to bond and know the heart of a godly mother they might not be getting back on the reservations.
Tonette,
You are right, they are not teachers, they don’t teach. They simply found something to do for pay and still do a horrible job. Hopefully, these kinds of teachers are not many today.
Jean,
It’s my earnest prayer that they are not the usual teacher anymore.
You too are a blessing to me. I love you gentle spirit, and seeing the Lord at work in and through you. I’m so thankful to call you my friend.
Hi Jean,
Thank you for your courageous vulnerability in sharing your story. The more I learn about your life, the more I am inspired by you. And look at how far you have come my friend! You are working on your doctorate!
I’m curious, are there any statistics that are informing your NPO?
Thanks, David,
God’s grace has brought me here, and I am forever grateful. Yes, I look at numbers as I work on my NPO but don’t think they are informing.
Jean,
I had a second grade teacher that did hit students with a ruler across their hands (myself included). Terrifying.
I hear so many adult learners say a teacher told them they were never going to learn math. I know you mentioned children can be mean but from the description of some of the teachers – I think it’s even worse when bullying comes from an adult.
At what point did you realize you could work with numbers or they became demystified for you?
Audrey, thanks for sharing your experience with your teacher. I agree as it comes to adults, it is much worse and more terrifying. As far as numbers are concerned, I will appreciate statisticians and mathematicians working on the numbers and will be working with their expert guidelines. I don’t have a problem working with numbers as long as I don’t work on them myself.
Jean – I share your dislike of math and numbers, so I completely related to many of your points, especially about the importance of making it fun. Thank you for sharing a bit about your backstage and being transparent about some of your insecurities. I feel like I know you better now.
Laura – Thanks for your comment. This feels like our first semester as a cohort; we get to connect and know one another much better.