Booklist - Hazel Rochman

Part of the Real World Data series, these three titles take gripping news from today’s headlines and use that information to demonstrate hands-on how to read and create many kinds of charts, graphs, and tables: what they show, how they work, and also how they can mislead. Graphing Crime discusses juvenile offenders, drug money, terrorism, and more, and teaches readers how to evaluate statistics in the various charts, such as the difference between crimes committed and crimes reported, or between total numbers and rate per population. A line graph in the Graphing Immigration title shows the estimated number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. from 1980 to 2005. Arguments about costs and benefits of all kinds of immigrants include a pie chart that shows where immigrants in the U.S. come from and pairs thoughts on why people migrate with a discussion of costs and benefits. Graphic War and Conflict uses graphs and charts to talk about global conflicts between 1990 and 2005, from guerrilla warfare and civil war to nuclear attacks, with a special section on terrorism, including 9/11 and suicide bombers. The series’ constant use of bold type for the words in the glossary is intrusive, but the clear design, with lots of full-color photos and sidebars, will encourage browsers as much as the up-to-date examples and the clear direction for remaining "chart smart". Recommended— Hazel Rochman <i>Booklist</i> Feb. 1, 2010