Weaponized lies : how to think critically in the post-truth era / Daniel J. Levitin.

"Previously published as A field guide to lies."

"Updated and with a new introduction"--Cover.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Thinking, Critically p. xiii
Part 1 Evaluating Numbers
Plausibility p. 3
Fun with Averages p. 11
Axis Shenanigans p. 26
Hijinks with How Numbers Are Reported p. 43
How Numbers Are Collected p. 75
Probabilities p. 97
Part 2 Evaluating Words
How Do We Know? p. 123
Identifying Expertise p. 129
Overlooked, Undervalued Alternative Explanations p. 152
Counterknowledge p. 168
Part 3 Evaluating the World
How Science Works p. 181
Logical Fallacies p. 198
Knowing What You Don't Know p. 211
Bayesian Thinking in Science and in Court p. 216
Four Case Studies p. 222
Conclusion: Discovering Your Own p. 251
Appendix: Application of Bayes's Rule p. 255
Glossary p. 257
Notes p. 263
Acknowledgments p. 285
Index p. 287
About the Author p. 295

Previously Published as A Field Guide to Lies

We're surrounded by fringe theories, fake news, and pseudo-facts. These lies are getting repeated. New York Times bestselling author Daniel Levitin shows how to disarm these socially devastating inventions and get the American mind back on track. Here are the fundamental lessons in critical thinking that we need to know and share now.

Investigating numerical misinformation, Daniel Levitin shows how mishandled statistics and graphs can give a grossly distorted perspective and lead us to terrible decisions. Wordy arguments on the other hand can easily be persuasive as they drift away from the facts in an appealing yet misguided way. The steps we can take to better evaluate news, advertisements, and reports are clearly detailed. Ultimately, Levitin turns to what underlies our ability to determine if something is true or false: the scientific method. He grapples with the limits of what we can and cannot know. Case studies are offered to demonstrate the applications of logical thinking to quite varied settings, spanning courtroom testimony, medical decision making, magic, modern physics, and conspiracy theories.

This urgently needed book enables us to avoid the extremes of passive gullibility and cynical rejection. As Levitin attests: Truth matters. A post-truth era is an era of willful irrationality, reversing all the great advances humankind has made. Euphemisms like "fringe theories," "extreme views," "alt truth," and even "fake news" can literally be dangerous. Let's call lies what they are and catch those making them in the act.