Rating: 
Summary: An intuitive introduction--not strictly mathematical.
Review: Kachigan has successfully reduced his introduction to multivariate statistics to descriptive, if somewhat figurative, explanations of the ideas behind the subject, without constantly resorting to a formulas-only approach.Some authors make the mistake of forgetting what that key word in their title means--introduction: an explanation in terms understood by those unfamiliar with the subject.But Kachigan uses analogies and examples to explain the concepts of multivariate statistical analysis to the benefit of those who want to understand the concept before they attempt the practice. This is always the best way to learn ideas. Books that ignore the need to have a clear idea of why things are done do a disservice to those who study them. After reading Kachigan's direct and concise explanations, I wished that I had found him sooner. I intend to purchase his "Statistical Analysis: An Interdisciplinary Introduction to Univariate and Multivariate Methods" as a reference to occasionally check my own explanations of statistical methods in my research papers. My professors say that my understanding of these concepts seems to have improved. They should not be surprised--they recommended this book.
Rating:
Summary: best buy
Review: Miraculously witty and logical, the best statistical book I've ever read. Don't let statistics scare you away. This book will make you understand!!
Rating: 
Summary: Easy to handle
Review: Statistics can be pretty daunting and this book was hard going in the initial chapters, particularly on probability. The final chapters seem easier to understand. I think the author is right to have dealt heavily with the normal distribution. This book is a good place to begin an understanding of statistical methodology.These days you don't really have to know too much about Stats, just something about using your favourite software and correctly interpretting the data and knowing if the tests you've used are correct. This book goes some way to help such analyses but does not have too much to say on software. I also found the book a little too wordy at times - but it does try to summarise. More chapters and a greater breakdown could have helped. The best thing about this book is the price and and at that price it can help you to feel cleverer/more confident than you may be at first. It may also help you understand truth a bit better.
Rating:
Summary: A clear, conceptual guide to statistical analysis
Review: There are many resources for learning the "how" of doing statistical analysis. Few, however, give a good explanation of the concepts that underlie "why" things are done that way. This book explains the essential concepts that are the foundation of statistical analysis. It is written to appeal to a wide audience, regardless of area of expertise, and will give you the bases to understand statistical analysis. It's a generally easy read, and far better than any other statistics book I've ever seen. If your position requires a general overview of statistical methods, this is the top choice.
Rating:
Summary: Clear and Concise
Review: There are many resources for learning the "how" of doing statistical analysis. Few, however, give a good explanation of the concepts that underlie "why" things are done that way. This book explains the essential concepts that are the foundation of statistical analysis. It is written to appeal to a wide audience, regardless of area of expertise, and will give you the bases to understand statistical analysis. It's a generally easy read, and far better than any other statistics book I've ever seen. If your position requires a general overview of statistical methods, this is the top choice.
Rating:
Summary: A clear, conceptual guide to statistical analysis
Review: There are many resources for learning the "how" of doing statistical analysis. Few, however, give a good explanation of the concepts that underlie "why" things are done that way. This book explains the essential concepts that are the foundation of statistical analysis. It is written to appeal to a wide audience, regardless of area of expertise, and will give you the bases to understand statistical analysis. It's a generally easy read, and far better than any other statistics book I've ever seen. If your position requires a general overview of statistical methods, this is the top choice.
Rating:
Summary: Great at giving rationale behind the methods
Review: This book is unlike most other statistics books in that it spends lots of time giving you the rationale behind the methods. I found this to be very helpful. This was the book that helped fill in the blanks on other (college-style) texts. This is not an easy book to read. It is a clear and quick explanation of the logic behind multivariate statistics. Sometimes that logic is involved, but you can master it by reading more slowly. I think after finishing this book, or in parallel with it, you would want another text that has lots of practical exercises. Highly recommended... if you're one of those that wants to know the "why" behind the "what". John D.
Rating:
Summary: Great at giving rationale behind the methods
Review: This book is unlike most other statistics books in that it spends lots of time giving you the rationale behind the methods. I found this to be very helpful. This was the book that helped fill in the blanks on other (college-style) texts. This is not an easy book to read. It is a clear and quick explanation of the logic behind multivariate statistics. Sometimes that logic is involved, but you can master it by reading more slowly. I think after finishing this book, or in parallel with it, you would want another text that has lots of practical exercises. Highly recommended... if you're one of those that wants to know the "why" behind the "what". John D.
Rating:
Summary: An Ideal Entry-Level Statistics Book
Review: This is the ideal entry-level statistics book. It provides you with a conceptual understanding of the field of data analysis, with an overview of the most commonly used statistical analysis techniques; whether univariate, bivariate, or multivariate. It requires no heavy math background. Instead it uses mostly verbal and graphical descriptions, emphasizing the rationales, interpretations, and applications of each technique. After you digest the material in this book, you can then tackle the more typical technical textbooks that abound. Also, this book will prepare you for understanding the statistical techniques in the Excel or 123 spreadsheet programs, as well as the many statistical packages such as SPSS, minitab, SAS, etc. If you are a practicing statistical consultant, this book will help you communicate with your clients in plain language. And the book is a bargain at twice the price.
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