Dear Dr. Pete...
A worried reader writes...

Dear Dr. Pete:
I was intrigued by your recent column about the misuse of statistics. Surely that hardly ever happens - does it?
~Rex Naive

Dr. Pete replies...

Dear Rex:
Your name is well placed my friend...have you not heard of spin? Just like love, it's all around us. All you need do is think about the other side. Let me give you a few examples, all taken from Research Magazine in the UK. We can be sure it is all pukka research.

"32% of American households own an MP3 player." - Wow! What an impressively rich, powerful, and advanced country.

Or

"68% of American households do not own an MP3 player." - Wow! What an impoverished lot. They can't even afford an MP3 player.

"30% of all UK households are considering a change of power supplier following a winter of major price hikes (says ResearchNow)." - Wow! What a sensible, cost-conscientious group those Brits are.

Or

"70% of all UK households are not considering a change of power supplier despite a winter of major price hikes (says ResearchNow)." - Wow! What a bunch of losers those Brits are.

"46% of UK consumers complain about being left endlessly on customer help lines." - Oh dear, aren't companies bad.

Or

"54% of UK consumers do not mind being left endlessly on customer help lines." - What a sorry bunch of losers. No wonder they haven't the time to switch power suppliers.

Do you see what I mean, Rex?