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What has data ever done for us?
In this new book, House of Commons Library statistician Georgina Sturge explores the rich history of the moments when we have counted and measured ourselves in different ways and the surprises, shocks, and fundamental changes which have come as a result.
SUM OF US showcases how the process of deciding who and what we count can be disruptive and intrusive - and at other times it can be emancipatory. As we shall see through the many stories in this book, it is a force which can turn the wheel of progress forwards as well as, sometimes, backwards. Along the way it also tells the story of how governments and politicians came to use and rely on data for policy making and poses the question, 'how much can statistics really tell us about who we are?'