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Bet You Didn't Know: Hundreds of Intriguing Facts About Living in the USA | 
 enlarge | Author: Cheryl Russell
Publisher: Prometheus Books
Category: Book
List Price: $18.98
Buy New: $11.36
You Save: $7.62 (40%)
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Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 358018
Media: Paperback
Pages: 316
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 5.9
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9
ISBN: 1591026350
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.923
EAN: 9781591026358
ASIN: 1591026350
Publication Date: September 10, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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Product Description
Tired of droning pundits and politicians, or the almost daily tirades on the radio, TV, and in print? Ever wonder what the facts are behind so many diverse opinions on such a variety of topics? Statistics maven Cheryl Russell--editorial director of New Strategist Publications and the former editor-in-chief of American Demographics magazine--has spent a career tracking down the facts that many pundits in the media avoid, don't know, or don't care to know. In Bet you Didn't Know, a fast-paced adventure in trend spotting, she separates facts from fantasy and applies a hefty dose of common sense to provide a deeper understanding of the processes at work in American society. Whether you're planning to look for a job, invest in the stock market, get married, have children, buy a house, vote, run for political office, or are just looking for some luscious tidbits to drop at your party, you'd better check Russell's book first to get your facts straight. And you are guaranteed to be amazed by what you find! Russell knowingly focuses her perceptive eye on America's top obsessions: Our bodies--health, weight, food, sex, drugs
Families--relationships and children
Money--earnings, spending, debt, poverty, and wealth
Jobs--school, work, and retirement
Luxuries and Stuff--homes, cars, and everything else
Free Time--sports, TV, the Internet, and more
Big Issues--religion, politics, and national phobias
Our Country--race, immigration, regions, and cities In each case, she spotlights the most significant facts and then offers pithy, illuminating commentary to provide a rational perspective and a full-blown reality check. Before making big or small decisions or major pronouncements, you'll want to check this engrossing, concise, fun, and factual guide.
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| Customer Reviews:
 A little knowledge can be dangerous November 30, 2008
Michael Polakowski (Dayton, OH USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
The book is a collection of one-page essays, each pertaining to a statistic about life in the United States. The essays are arranged by topic into 23 chapters.
The author is a demographer and cites references for all the stats given, either in footnotes at the bottom of the page or in notes at the end of the book. If you know anything about how such data is collected, you will realize that it's not always perfect. For example, data collected via telephone survey necessarily excludes those without phones, and often excludes those with cell phones only. To her credit, Russell does mention this fact (it's even one of the essays), as well as other similar sources of bias.
Most of the topics are interesting, and many can be considered important. That is a double-edged sword at times, since topics such taxation, gun control, and capital punishment (to name only three) cannot be neatly wrapped into a few numbers and a 300-word summary. A critically thinking reader will finish such essays with many unanswered questions.
Then there is the issue of the author's political bias, which occasionally finds its way into the essays. For example, when faced with the fact that 84% of Americans favor increasing the minimum wage, Russell seems to think that that alone should compel lawmakers to raise it (and I noticed such reasoning in several essays). Never did I find an instance where the topic of individual rights was raised, and whether the government has the authority to interfere at all with the terms between employer and employee.
This book can be enjoyable to read, provided you keep in mind the source of the statistics and don't accept the opinions provided by the essays unless you dig into them a bit deeper.
 Fabulous value November 18, 2008
Cally Arthur (Ithaca, NY United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
My teenage son puts down his game controller to read aloud from this book. But I like it for more than that. It gives me insight.
Each page starts with a Harper's Index style fact about Americans. Russell then explains the story behind the fact and why we should care. And she isn't stingy with her sharp edged wit. I often end up wearing a smirk after reading her analysis.
This is smart reading--whether your other book is the NYTimes or an xBox360. Bet You Didn't Know will be my core gift this season.
Stats, fun facts, and more than that! October 2, 2008
De G. Fang (Pittsburgh, PA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
As a college student who is doing either one of two things, writing papers or entertaining friends, this book definitely has tidbits that will add beef to a paper ranging from a multitude of topics. When discussing topics such as politics with friends, it definitely is helpful to have this book handy for either self-edification or enlightening others. Overall a very accessible book that is excellently written and won't drown you in numbers.
Fascinating and Useful September 23, 2008
J. Veronneau (Lansing, NY USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is a fun book about important issues. It is set up sort of like a blog, with short explanations of trends--one per page. The author is a demographer and is really into numbers. This is a book for number lovers, but it is also entertaining. Who knew that Americans don't like to shop? Religious girls have sex at a younger age than other girls... Older Americans spend 1/4 of their day watching television... This book will take you by surprise!
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