Includes bibliographical references (pages 321-350) and index (pages 351-358).

Is it safer to fly or take the train? How dangerous is skydiving? And is eating that extra sausage going to kill you? We've all heard the statistics for risky activities, but what do they mean in the real world? In The Norm Chronicles, journalist Michael Blastland and risk expert David Spiegelhalter explore these questions through the stories of average Norm and an ingenious measurement called the MicroMort-a one in a million chance of dying. They reveal why general anesthesia is as dangerous as a parachute jump, giving birth in the US is nearly twice as risky as in the UK, and that the radiation from eating a banana shaves 3 seconds off your life. An entertaining guide to the statistics of personal risk, The Norm Chronicles will enlighten anyone who has ever worried about the dangers we encounter in our daily lives--Publisher's description.

In the Norm Chronicles, journalist Michael Blastland and risk expert David Spiegelhalter explore these questions and more in a fun, narrative guide to playing life's odds. Through the adventures of the perfectly average Norm and a measure called the MicroMort--a one-in-a-million chance of dying--Blastland and Spiegelhalter blend stories with statistics to explain just how risky life can be. Danger is everywhere for our hero Norm, just like it is for the rest of us. So how do we make choices in a world full of risk? The Norm Chronicles takes a look at the human side of the data to provide all the information you need to understand the risks inherent in ordinary--and some extraordinary--activities. Covering everything from murder to skiing, from an asteroid to an extra glass of wine, The Norm Chronicles is an entertaining guide for anyone who has ever worried about the dangers we encounter in our daily lives--Publisher's description.

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