Thirteen contemporary medical topics are used to illustrate how modern tools of statistical thinking and statistical graphics can illuminate them. The book aims to solve some vexing problems that seem perplexing, and make the problems and their solutions clear for the general reader in order to gain a greater understanding of our complex world.

• Introduction


• Section I - Communicating with the Public


• 1: N.Y. State's Cancer map


• 2: Will Burtin and some pictures at an exhibition


• 3: That's funny


• 4: Commentary on some graphs in the 2008 National Healthcare Quality Report


• 5: Improving graphic displays by controlling creativity


• Section II - Some Advances


• 6: Looking at blood sugar


• 7: A different kind of second opinion on hip fractures


• 8: False positives


• 9: Estimating long-term effects


• 10: A remarkable horse


• Section III - Another Hindrance to Progress


• 12: What does it take to change practice?


• 13: Why is a raven like a writing desk? Musing on the power of convention

Howard Wainer is a statistician and author; Medical Illuminations is his 20th book. His first two medical books (technical works in pediatrics) were published almost 40 years ago. He has been working primarily on medical topics since 2001 as the Distinguished Research Scientist of the National Board of Medical Examiners. At various times in his career he has taught at Princeton, The University of Chicago and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
He has a PhD from Princeton and is a fellow in the American Statistical Association and the American Educational Research Association. He has been the recipient of many awards for his broad ranging research and has served internationally on many editorial boards of leading statistical journals as well as a consultant to both government and industry. He has also written a column in the magazine Chance for the past 24 years.