The IEA Book Club is delighted to host, for the second time this year, the revolutionary, acclaimed book, radio series and podcast, bestselling economist, Tim Harford, to discuss his forthcoming book “How to Make the World Add Up: Ten Rules for Thinking Differently About Numbers”. This webinar will take place on Tuesday 20th October at 18:00 BST and will be chaired by Professor Syed Kamall, IEA Academic and Research Director

When was the last time you read a grand statement, accompanied by a large number, and wondered whether it could really be true? Statistics are vital in helping us tell stories – we see them in the papers, on social media, and we hear them used in everyday conversation – and yet we doubt them more than ever.

Tim looks to takes us deep into the world of disinformation and obfuscation, bad research and misplaced motivation to find those priceless jewels of data and analysis that make communicating with numbers worthwhile. His characters range from the art forger who conned the Nazis to the stripper who fell in love with the most powerful congressman in Washington, to famous data detectives such as John Maynard Keynes, Daniel Kahneman and Florence Nightingale. He reveals how we can evaluate the claims that surround us with confidence, curiosity and a healthy level of scepticism.

Using ten simple rules for understanding numbers – plus one golden rule – this extraordinarily insightful book shows how if we keep our wits about us, thinking carefully about the way numbers are sourced and presented, we can look around us and see with crystal clarity how the world adds up.

This event is strictly for IEA Book Club members. For more information on the Book Club please feel free to contact us with any questions at bookclub@iea.org.uk