The 2012 elections showed up that statistics can actually be cool and capture an audience's attention. The rise of Nate Silver and his election predictions show that understanding statistics and presenting them in an interesting way can cause quite a stir in popular media.

In his new book, "Naked Statistics," author and economist Charles Wheelan weaves in pop culture examples to give us the tools we need to understand the stats in and around our lives.

From The New York Times review:

It is not the place to learn for the first time about medians and means, but definitely the place to remember what you were once supposed to know about these and other key concepts -- and, more important, why you were supposed to know them.

And that means you. While a great measure of the book's appeal comes from Mr. Wheelan's fluent style -- a natural comedian, he is truly the Dave Barry of the coin toss set -- the rest comes from his multiple real world examples illustrating exactly why even the most reluctant mathophobe is well advised to achieve a personal understanding of the statistical underpinnings of life, whether that individual is watching football on the couch, picking a school for the children or jiggling anxiously in a hospital admitting office.

Wheelan will join The Daily Circuit Monday March 4 to talk about the book.

LEARN MORE ABOUT NAKED STATISTICS:

Book excerpt

Wheelan on BookTV (CSPAN2)

San Francisco Chronicle review

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