Statistics Demystified

Rating:
Summary: Makes complicated stuff seem simple
Review: As an accountant and investor, I have to work with statistics from time to time (too often). I've always had trouble with it, especially graphs and charts. This book is helping me understand things that have always confused me. There are plenty of graphs, clearly drawn and well explained. The first chapter, "Background Math," was especially helpful as a mini-refresher course. So far, I have found the material amazingly simple. I think everybody should read this book (and take all the tests) before attempting a hard-core statistics course. After I am done with this book, I plan to tackle "Advanced Statistics Demystified" and "Business Statistics Demystified."

Rating:
Summary: Interesting and Practical Statistics
Review: I wanted to refresh my knowledge of statistics, and this book helped a lot. It is a treasure trove of basic probability and statistics concepts. I like the fact that it discusses hurricane landfall prediction and event bunching, which have been all too relevant. It even discusses the difference between random and predestined digits. The author's cautions about causation assumptions, coincidence and extrapolation are excellent. Going way beyond Cliff Notes, it nevertheles is not overly challenging. The book demystifies realistic, practical problems, such as analizing the results of a quiz given to a large number of students. The practice exams are challenging but not excessively so. Consider buying this book.