Statistics (Barron's Ez-101 Study Keys)

Rating:
Summary: Not for Newbies
Review: A well organised book for full time statistic's students but not for part-timers or those with only a general interest in Statistics. This is an exam revision text.

Rating:
Summary: Revising my original review
Review: It turns out that most of the answers in the book are correct. The first problem in chapter one is incorrect, in that the median of the set of numbers is actually zero, not one. However, the problems I had with chapter two would not have arisen had the difference between the standard deviation of the population and the standard deviation of a sample been better explained. The fact that I can even say such things is proof that I learned something. :-) I must upgrade my rating and also recommend this book. It is concise (perhaps too much at times), but it does cover a fantastic range of material.

Rating:
Summary: Beats any university textbook around
Review: This book is pitched at university level study and covers the mathematics in an easy to understand manner. I have completed university level statistics however, the assigned textbook was dry and difficult to understand. I did do well in the subject, however this was by rote learning past exams rather than any deep understanding of the material. This book changes everything and I only wish I had it when I did my maths course!

The book is written in a very clear style. All theory is accompanied by fully worked examples. There are plenty of graphs and explanations to illustrate the point. At the end of each theme, there is a set of problems again with fully worked solutions. Mathematical terms are explained in clear English so that I finally know what "chi square" and "degree of freedom" actually mean.

The book is not perfect. As previously mentioned, there are a number of errors in the worked solutions. However, these are quickly spotted. A lot of the time, the book just asks you to accept certain equations, without showing how they are derived. It would have been nice to have an appendix with derivations of the various formulae, so that you could look them up if you were so inclined.

However, these small flaws do not detract from what is an excellent text. I'd recommend this text for anyone who needs an understanding of the fundamentals of statistics. I managed to cover a whole semester's work in about 1/10th of the time!