Statistics as Coffee Table Book

"Anyone can do statistics" - with this thesis the author Thomas Spiegler starts the topic of his book „Statistik – schön einfach“ (Statistics – beautifully simple) and thus into a felt complicated topic. To start right away: After reading it, I, as a reader, realize that the proof of the thesis feels like a walk through the statistical landscape, with lots of aha-experiences from page to page. A total of 138 pages long. "In everyday life, we constantly use the ideas underlying statistics. That is exactly where this book starts. With numerous examples, it shows how we effortlessly do exactly what statistics do in everyday life", the author explains his approach. Starting from this 'statistic' in everyday life, which everyone can do, this book builds bridges to the procedures of scientific statistics.
A child's photo from great-grandmother's time shows what a median is, the runners of the Hanover Marathon become a box plot, a scatter diagram is created with one's own hand span, a communal poker evening makes the Gini coefficient understandable and the rents along the Munich subway network illustrate a statistical correlation. In this book there is always a lovingly designed picture page and a short, easy-to-understand text page together.
The book is a recommendation and a challenge at the same time: for the grey cells; not only at Christmas time.
The author is professor of sociology and empirical social research and teaches at the Friedensau Theological College.

Thomas Spiegler: Statistik schön einfach. 138 pages, Weinheim: Beltz 2020. ISBN 978-3-7799-6306-6 (17,95 EUR); also available as e-book.