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The Hidden Half

The Unseen Forces That Influence Everything
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Hidden Half by Michael Blastland explores the unseen influences and uncertainties that shape the world and human understanding. It delves into how unpredictable factors can affect everything from human behaviour to scientific conclusions, prompting us to reconsider our perceptions and assumptions. Through a series of compelling examples, the book uncovers the complexities and hidden layers that often go unnoticed in everyday life.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by the complexity and unpredictability of the world around us. It delves into why things happen the way they do and explores the often overlooked factors that influence outcomes. Ideal for those curious about the limits of knowledge in science and human affairs.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A revolutionary and utterly original book revealing why we should doubt experts - and question ourselves

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Why does one smoker die of lung cancer but another live to 100? The answer is The Hidden Half - those random, unknowable variables that mess up our attempts to comprehend the world.

We humans are very clever creatures - but we're idiots about how clever we really are. In this entertaining and ingenious book, Blastland reveals how in our quest to make the world more understandable, we lose sight of how unexplainable it often is. The result - from GDP figures to medicine - is that experts know a lot less than they think.

Filled with compelling stories from economics, genetics, business, and science, The Hidden Half is a warning that an explanation which works in one arena may not work in another. Entertaining and provocative, it will change how you view the world.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Hidden Half by Michael Blastland is praised for being thought-provoking and original, challenging readers to reconsider what they think they know. It is celebrated for its elegant writing, scientific depth, and the way it encourages humility regarding the limits of our knowledge. Reviewers highlight its storytelling, engaging style, and its ability to fascinate and educate simultaneously.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781786496393

Publisher: Atlantic Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 April 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Atlantic Books

Edition: Main

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 263g

Pages: 304

About the Author

Michael Blastland is a writer and broadcaster. He was the originator and first producer of BBC Radio 4's More or Less, Britain's most authoritative guide to numbers and evidence in public argument. He is the bestselling author of The Tiger That Isn't: Seeing Through a World of Numbers, a book about numbers and how to interpret them, which he co-authored with Andrew Dilnot. He also wrote The Norm Chronicles, co-authored with Professor David Spiegelhalter.

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    Mathematics scares and depresses most of us, but politicians, journalists, and everyone in power use numbers all the time to bamboozle us. Most maths is really simpleβ€”as easy as 2+2, in fact. Better still, it can be understood without any jargon, formulas, and not even many numbers. Most of it is commonsense, and by using a few really simple principles,...
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  • Thinking in Pictures
    Why thinking in pictures? Short answer: because the words seem to need help. If you sample the many big ideas books to hit the shelves recently, they all promise a smarter, more rational you. But if the books are that good, why are there so many? Using illustrations and photographs, Michael Blastland shows how pictures can help put ideas to...
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  • The Norm Chronicles
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