With regard to this week reading, \u201cHow to make the World Add up,\u201d by Tim Harford, it is very interesting how he used those real-life stories to make his points how information can be twisted into different meanings, or to one\u2019s advantages. I like the way he used real stories to bring out is point, however, to me personally, somehow it I feel like kind of too long and needs to be more simpler to understand the points that he was getting at \u2013 maybe that\u2019s just me! But at the end of the book, he made it easier by actually spell out the 10 rules, or rules of thumb to follow.<\/p>\n
From this reading, I would like to remember the \u2018ten statistical commandment\u2019[1]<\/a> that is written at the end of his book. I paraphrased them for myself so I could remembered. Following are the commandments: (1.) validate the information and not let your feelings influence you, (2.) look at all the angles available, (3.) look at the information given and make sure it is fully understood, (4.) look at other available sources to compare and contrast, (5.) make sure we know where it comes from and if the whole picture is there, (6.) And if the full picture is not there, would it look different if we get the whole picture? (7.) Ask critical questions about how the information came about from the data and be aware that without essential openness these information is unreliable, (8.) should be fully aware of the ultimate source of information, (9.) fully investigate beautiful data, and finally (10.) be open minded. As I read this book and the summary of it, which is in the last chapter, it sounds so synonymous with critical thinking. And off course that is what this course is about, \u2018Critical Thinking.\u2019<\/p>\n Boogaard (2024), \u201ccritical thinking is the ability to evaluate facts and information, remain objective, and make a sound decision about how to move forward\u2026it seems simple in theory but is much tougher in practice.\u201d[2]<\/a> Because of this, practice is essential for one to perfect the process of \u2018critical thinking,\u2019 and in this case, the \u2018ten statistical commandment\u2019 is critical thinking with regards to numbers or data. As Harford came to closing his book, he shared the \u2018Golden Rule,\u201d which is \u2013 \u201cBE CURIOS.\u201d[3]<\/a> My takeaway from this book is to critically understand and not to be misled by the world or numbers and date, one must apply the \u2018Golden Rule,\u2019 which is \u2018BE CURIOUS!\u2019<\/p>\n Curiosity might have killed the cat; however, in the world of data and numbers, curiosity might just save one in a leadership role.<\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Harford, Tom. How to Make the World Add Up: Ten Rules for Thinking Differently About Numbers<\/em>. Great Britain: The Bridge Street Press, 2020.<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Boogaard, Kat. https:\/\/www.atlassian.com<\/a> (accessed February 9, 2024).<\/p>\n