I'm certainly guilty of getting partway through books and never returning, but I don't know that if I'd jumped into the data first I would have been so engrossed.
(Obviously this is entirely a personal perspective.)
Engrossed? Maybe not. But a lot of myths would have been busted. For me, it's about trying to understand an issue, bumping into some ignorant ahole, and being able to say "read this book...read __this chapter__."
Few enjoy such books. But more need to be more aware of the (data) truths that define the issue.
The data on the number of deaths from domestic violence in cities/states that have a law for penalizing landlords with properties with too many police calls was infuriating.
Few enjoy such books. But more need to be more aware of the (data) truths that define the issue.