Statistics are a valuable and necessary tool to help you prove a point in a paper or a speech.  Where do you go to get them? The Statistical Abstract of the United States.  It is the most current and authoritative summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States. Here you will find statistics on everything from agriculture to labor to weather and more.  An online guide provides more information about this resource and directions on how to search and use it. Formerly published by the United States Census Bureau, Stat Abs is now an excellent value-added resource put together by private publishers: ProQuest online and Bernan in paper. The MSU Libraries offers this information resource online via ProQuest.  It is the first place to go for statistical information.