Review of The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver

  During these times of dubious economic and political stability, the buzz word "uncertainty"  is often heard in the media and felt in our personal lives.  When hearing of the success in which Mr. Silver predicted the outcome of the 2012 election, I became curious as to how he was able to so closely call precinct results and bought this book.
  Not being a gambler per se, and knowing very little about statistics, I was a bit apprehensive at first; but soon comforted by the straight-forwardness in the text, and how conversational it read. Also, I could see why it was listed among self-help books, and like how broadly the concept of finding our personal signals (reliably factual), amid ambiguous noise, could be applied.
  The author's analyses among various topics reveal a plethora of knowledge and wide range of experiences that serve as examples of how to think in specific ways in given situations. His gift for conveying what went wrong and why makes the book intriguing and fun to read. Far from the tone of a condescending know-it-all, Nate Silver writes as a buddy who is willing to show you the ropes in sports, investments, medicine, weather, etc. In short, he offers you a key to reliability.