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Foreword by Charles Wheelan, author of New York Times bestseller Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data
What makes some evidence strong, some evidence weak, and some evidence total nonsense? Truth Addict is your guide to answers.
Individuals, policymakers, and businesses across the globe want to make decisions based on evidence. But not all evidence is created equal.
Truth Addict is the layperson's guide to data, truth, and the gap between them. Whether it's collected through laboratory experiments or public surveys, market research or archival records, data has a story to tell us—but only if we can read it. Drawing on engaging examples, John V. Kane details the logic of gathering and analyzing data as a means of getting us closer to the truth, even if the truth hurts.
Developing research questions. Defining variables. Choosing metrics. Testing hypotheses. Quantifying relationships. Ruling out chance. Considering alternative explanations. Knowing not just that "correlation does not equal causation," but also how to tell the difference. These are key steps along Kane's "Road to Evidence," a journey that begins with curiosity and ends at objective knowledge. You don't have to be a math whiz to study our social world—Truth Addict provides every reader tools to uncover the reality within the numbers.
John V. Kane is Associate Professor at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University, where he teaches courses on research methods, applied statistics, and public opinion. He has written for top peer-reviewed journals, as well as for The New York Times, National Public Radio, and elsewhere.
"Disarmingly charming, succinct, and clear. Truth Addict shows readers how to be intelligent producers and consumers of data within a world in which real intelligence is more urgently needed than ever."—Kristin Luker, Elizabeth Josselyn Boalt Professor of Law (Emerita) and Professor of Sociology, University of California, Berkeley
"This is a transformational book. It offers a unique and remarkably clever perspective on how to answer big social, political, and economic questions. Its insights will shape how any reader—from the uninitiated student to the seasoned researcher—views the world. Everyone should read it."—James N. Druckman, Martin Brewer Anderson Professor of Political Science, University of Rochester
"The statistical investigation of causal structure is not tedious even for a moment in Kane's hands. His enthusiasm, humor, and delight in deep and clear explanation imbue Truth Addict with an irresistibly light-hearted seriousness."—Michael Strevens, author of The Knowledge Machine and Professor of Philosophy, New York University
"In this fast-paced world, we are inundated with headlines and claims, and it's all too easy to take them at face value rather than call them into question. And yet, to be informed and active participants, questioning is exactly what we must do. Truth Addict is a sharp, savvy guide to how we can do just that, for anyone determined to make critical, principled, and thoughtful sense of our world instead of merely getting swept along by it."—Gregory R. Hancock and Patrick J. Curran, cohosts of the podcast Quantitude
"This book is a powerful antidote to simplistic thinking about truth and lies. John V. Kane makes a compelling case that real wisdom requires a different way of thinking, and he provides the tools to reach smarter conclusions."—Jay Van Bavel, Professor of Psychology, New York University
"The process of scientific discovery is typically presented in ways that make it seem boring, tedious, and technical. But, at least sometimes, it is a delightful adventure. Kane's book uniquely describes the joyful experience of discovering the truth—of moving from asking questions to formulating a hypothesis to correctly interpreting the evidence. Discovering the truth can be fun, and Kane shows us how."—Paul Kellstedt, Professor of Political Science, Texas A&M University
"Highly accessible and delightfully charming. Truth Addict is an engaging primer on social science and how it's done right. Kane guides the reader gently down the 'Road to Evidence,' clearly explaining complex ideas—everything from causal inference and scientific realism to p-values and statistical bias—without jargon. Along the way, he points to scientific habits of mind essential for researchers, and he places much-needed caution signs for avoiding the cognitive fallacies that can lead us astray. Written with warmth and good-natured humor, this is both a pleasurable and informative read."—Smriti Verma and Daniël Lakens, cohosts of the podcast Nullius in Verba