Teach Yourself Statistics

Rating:
Summary: statistical significance and practical significance
Review: I would love to give the book an unqualified positive review, but there is an issue that would be neglictful to not mention: The book does not distinguish "statistical significance" & "practical importance".

It may appear this criticism is nitpicking, but it is not uncommon for scholars (in the media) to use the word 'significant' in such a way that leads the viewers or readers to think the findings are 'large' or 'important'. By not making this distinction clear, this book takes a chance that additional readers may be similarly mislead.

However, in its favor, this book is low-priced and introductory, and for many readers, the issue I mention will not be a big deal.

Rating:
Summary: Great, for the right student
Review: This is a clear, gentle, and very basic introduction to stats, but it's a good bit more, too. It starts with a review of basic algebra - linear equations, graphs, and just what all the symbols mean. It works its way up through various kinds of graphs, sampling and correlation, with lots of examples and very clear writing.

Personally, I would have put the probability chapters earlier. My feeling is that stats derives from probability, it's not an add-on to examine after learning stats. This author clearly knows what he's doing, though, so I won't push the point. My math background puts me outside of his target audience. I have a friend struggling through the book, and she is very happy with the level and presentation. She's the kind of reader for whom the book is meant, and it seems to work for her.

If your math skills need resuscitation more than review, this book could well meet your needs. It's easy to read, business-like, and doesn't talk down to the reader. Work all the way through it, and you should have good basic skills at handling numbers, and at sniffing out the BS behind numbers thrown at you.

Rating:
Summary: Teach yourself statistics 2/e
Review: This is one of the best basic statistic books I have ever encountered - I have taken a lot of statistic courses and after reading this book the basics finally make sense. It is not meant for the high level - high understanding math type - it is just perfect for those of us who need to understand statistics, have ocassion to use them periodically for simple research studies and interpret what research articles are trying to say when they say "statistically significant". Overall a great book - one of the best I have seen on statistics. I am impressed. The light is finally on!