This book is brilliant. 

If you are like me, who have read "Thinking Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman, and might have browse through Nudge by Richard Thaler, Cass Sunstein, you will definitely like this one.

Some of the stuff reference to System 1 System 2 thinking. Gut feeling is system 1 while the head is system 2.

As the writer is a journalist, there are much more summaries of studies. 

Like if you see an ad, and it said 1 out of 5 children living with hunger. He would be like you, who would ask where is the data come from, is it real? is it accurate? is it recent? has things been getting worst or getting better? 

That's what the first half of the book is about. How different studies indicate the change of opinions are being affected by "juiced" (with audio) video clip, or plain ad. When an ad sales fear, who is being affected. 

"Conclusion: There's never been a better time to be alive." 

And he is right. We are living in a way better and safe age. When the threat of death is reduced. The mortality rate of children is greatly reduced due to the widely available and cheap vaccination. Why we don't spend more money on vaccination is a puzzle to me. 

News, that like to chase after blood, is not that interested in reporting statistics that we are living in a safer and better age when compare to our parent or our grandparent generations.

Statistics is not boring. It is interesting because it give us the big picture.

This should be required reading for students so that they are more equip to read and watch the news everyday. 

This is especially true for Americans, as the threat of nuclear war ended with liberation of the USSR. They are at risk of being overfed than underfed. Yet, they are being target by fear advertising and propaganda that they are afraid of their own shadows. 

We are really better off living in this age. Thanks goodness for that. 

Must read.