Data Is a Loaded Gun

I love how in an article describing how data can be manipulated to meet any conclusion, Matt cites that the stock market has on average gone up 10% every year and real estate has gained 1% since the great depression.

Who here has money invested from the original great depression? Anyone?

I get his point, and agree with the entire piece but using one set of data to show how using another set of data can be misleading is ... silly.

Did Matt even read that Gladwell article? If so, I'm not sure how the only thing he got out of it was the racetrack anecdote. He makes it out like that was the primary focus, and supporting evidence, of the article.