Proofiness: The Dark Arts of Mathematical Deception by Charles Seife, Mathematics, Politics, 295 pages.
In Proofiness, Seife vents his spleen on those who would use warped math, nonsense numbers, and faked facts to attempt to prove something that is not true, to lie with numbers when the truth is either clearly there to be seem by those willing to look, or when it is hidden and unknowable. He accuses, with wit, grace, and clear logic, journalists, NASA's representatives, politicians, and the members of the Supreme Court, of just such lying. He shows how they mislead for their own purposes, using what he calls disestimation, Potemkin numbers, randumbness, and other types of proofiness to make money, steal elctions or convict the innocent. Fun and readable, but a relatively damning account of modern American life and our gullibility.
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