Counting: How We Use Numbers to Decide What Matters by Stone, Deborah

Counting: How We Use Numbers to Decide What Matters

What do people do when they count? What do numbers really mean? We all know that people...
¥7,707 JPY
¥7,707 JPY
SKU: 9781631495922
Product Type: Books
Please hurry! Only 0 left in stock
Author: Deborah Stone
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Subtotal: ¥7,707
10 customers are viewing this product
Counting: How We Use Numbers to Decide What Matters by Stone, Deborah

Counting: How We Use Numbers to Decide What Matters

¥7,707

Counting: How We Use Numbers to Decide What Matters

¥7,707
Author: Deborah Stone
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
What do people do when they count? What do numbers really mean? We all know that people can lie with statistics, but in this groundbreaking work, eminent political scientist Deborah Stone uncovers a much deeper problem. With help from Dr. Seuss and Cookie Monster, she explains why numbers can't be objective: in order to count, one must first decide what counts. Every number is the ending to a story built on cultural assumptions, social conventions, and personal judgments.

And yet, in this age of big data and metric mania, numbers shape almost every facet of our lives: whether we get hired, fired, or promoted; whether we get into college or out of prison; how our opinions are gathered and portrayed to politicians; or how government designs health and safety regulations. In warm and playful prose, Counting explores what happens when we measure nebulous notions like merit, race, poverty, pain, or productivity.

When so much rides on numbers, they can become instruments of social welfare, justice, and democracy--or not. The citizens of Flint, Michigan, for instance, used numbers to prove how their household water got contaminated and to force their government to take remedial action. In stark contrast, the Founding Fathers finessed an intractable conflict by counting each slave as three-fifths of a person in the national census. They set a terrible precedent for today's politicians who claim to solve moral and political dilemmas with arithmetic.

Suffused with moral reflection and ending with a powerful epilogue on COVID-19's dizzying statistics, Counting will forever change our relationship with numbers.



Author: Deborah Stone
Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Published: 10/06/2020
Pages: 312
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.70w x 1.20d
ISBN: 9781631495922


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 07/27/2020
Publishers Weekly 08/03/2020 pg. 46
Kirkus Reviews 08/15/2020

About the Author
Stone, Deborah: - Deborah Stone is a renowned scholar who has taught at Brandeis, MIT, and other universities around the world. Her award-winning book Policy Paradox has captivated readers through three decades, four editions, and six translations--but who's counting? She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Related Products

Recently Viewed Products