Jean-Pierre Beaud & Jean-Guy Prevost 
Statistics, Public Debate and the State, 1800–1945 
A Social, Political and Intellectual History of Numbers

Based around a number of illustrative case studies, this book charts the development of our modern-day reliance on statistics. Topics covered include scientific innovations, administrative issues and the use of numbers in politics. By looking at these aspects of statistics together, the authors are able to present a truly original work.