Posted to News on 3rd Nov 2008, 16:04
Statistics in a Nutshell - a review by MachineBuilding.net
If you need to learn statistics as part of your job Statistics in a Nutshell is a clear and concise introduction and reference that is suitable for anyone with no previous background in the subject. This book gives a solid understanding of statistics without being too simple, yet it also avoids the mind-numbing complexity of most college texts.
You get a firm grasp of the fundamentals and a hands-on understanding of how to apply them before moving on to the more advanced material that follows. Each chapter presents you with easy-to-follow descriptions illustrated by graphics, formulas and plenty of solved examples. Before you know it, you will learn to apply statistical reasoning and statistical techniques, from basic concepts of probability and hypothesis testing to multivariate analysis.
Organised into four distinct sections, Statistics in a Nutshell offers you:
Introductory material:
- Different ways to think about statistics
- Basic concepts of measurement and probability theory
- Data management for statistical analysis
- Research design and experimental design
- How to critique statistics presented by others
Basic inferential statistics:
- Basic concepts of inferential statistics
- The concept of correlation, when it is and is not an appropriate measure of association
- Dichotomous and categorical data
- The distinction between parametric and nonparametric statistics
Advanced inferential techniques:
- The General Linear Model
- Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and MANOVA
- Multiple linear regression
Specialised techniques:
- Business and quality improvement statistics
- Medical and public health statistics
- Educational and psychological statistics
Unlike many introductory books on the subject, Statistics in a Nutshell does not omit important material in an effort to dumb it down. And this book is far more practical than most college texts, which tend to over-emphasise calculation without teaching you when and how to apply different statistical tests.
With Statistics in a Nutshell, you learn how to perform most common statistical analyses and understand statistical techniques presented in research articles. If you need to know how to use a wide range of statistical techniques without getting in over your head, this is the book you want.
Statistics in a Nutshell
Sarah Boslaugh , Dr Paul A Watters
ISBN: 9780596510497, 476 pages, Book Price: $34.99, 21.99, €28.00
www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596510497
About the authors
Sarah Boslaugh holds a PhD in Research and Evaluation from the City University of New York and has been working as a statistical analyst for 15 years. She has taught statistics in several different contexts and currently teaches Intermediate Statistics at Washington University Medical School.
Dr Paul A Watters is Head of Data Services at the Medical Research Council's National Survey of Health and Development, which is the oldest of the British birth cohort studies. He is also an honorary senior research fellow at University College London.
