|  | Authors: David Freedman, Robert Pisani, Roger Purves
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.
Buy Used: $79.94
as of 11/23/2009 01:47 CST details
New (31) Used (45) from $79.94
Seller: _beaglebooks_
Rating:  29 reviews
Sales Rank: 52538
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 4th
Pages: 720
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.9
Dimensions (in): 10.4 x 7.4 x 1.6
ISBN: 0393929728
Dewey Decimal Number: 519.5
EAN: 9780393929720
ASIN: 0393929728
Publication Date: February 13, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Reading copy only -- all pages intact -- Visible liquid damage -- Visible wear-marking-shelf wear
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 21-25 of 29
 Buy this book and you won't regret it! November 22, 2000
macktheknife (Northern, CA)
33 out of 35 found this review helpful
I had used this book for my Introduction to Statistics class, and I think it was the best $60 I had ever spent. The authors explain all the major statistical concepts clearly and succinctly, drawing on a variety of samples and adding a touch of humor. The math in this book is more than doable; anyone with a basic grasp of algebra and a willingness tackle numbers is the only prerequisite to understanding this book. However, the authors also try to convey to the reader that there is more to statistics than just numbers. How an experiment is constructed, how polls are taken, what biases exist, and how assumptions are made are all integral parts of statistics. This book is applicable to almost every subject--political science, sociology, sciences, engineering, etc. There are enough exercises in the chapters to assist the reader in reviewing the concepts. I can't stress this enough: Buy this book and you won't regret it!
 very good introduction October 16, 2000
MonkGroupie (United States)
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
This is an excellent introduction to the subject, especially if your math background is close to nill. If you feel confortable with elementary mathematics, (e.g. a little calculus and a little linear algebra) then the book is still very useful, especially in explaining the intuitive aspects of the field. However, even the handy companion workbook "Mathematical Methods in Statistics", which does use a little bit of mathematics, is quite elementary. Unfortunately, there are no introductory Statistics books aimed at those who know a little bit of mathematics, so this book is pretty much all there is (with the exception of the new Nolan & Speed book). Overall, I think this is a really wonderful book, and if you do have a little bit of math background, it reads like a novel. It is extremely comprehensive for an introduction, and experienced statistics students will often use this book as a reference. There could be a little more attention paid to the mathematically confortable readers (at least in the workbook: the treatment of regression for example could at least mention the linear alebra.) As well, it would be very useful to touch upon some statistical software (e.g. Splus)
Fantastic! May 3, 2000
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
This book is a rare gem. You can find piles of books with Statistics symbols/equations and hard-core problems, but how many of them really teach you the meaning of what you're doing?Statistics is a kind of data-compression - you start off with with a bag of data and you extract certain "features" such as averages, standard deviations etc... ...this allows you to say general things about the entire dataset (avg/SD, etc.) or claim associations between multiple datasets with varying degrees of confidence (correlations) or even predict the value of one variable if you know the other (regressions). The dangerous thing is, if you are not careful about how you "compress" this data or about what you do or don't do with the dataset (like dealing with outliers), your conclusions may be ENTIRELY INVALID! By using specific examples, this book teaches you to look at what are you doing before you do the analysis and then how to look at your results after you do your compression (running statistical studies). I was reluctant to buy this book at the bookstore at first, but after having read the entire text, I believe this investment was money well spent. If you don't believe me, check it out in a bookstore before you buy the book. Good luck!
Clear, Systematic, and Detailed February 4, 2000
unraveler (Nevada)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I found this book very useful in obtaining a solid conceputal understanding of statistics. This is exactly what a beginner or an intermediate student has to master. The first chapter that clearly explains the difference between experimental and observational studies and describes the randomized controlled, experimental method is a gem, and all others are very solid, too. Anyone who is trying to understand statistics and has found himself frustrated by extra dry, formula-laden books on the subject will find this text refreshing and very helpful.
A good place to start... July 26, 1999
15 out of 17 found this review helpful
This book teaches statistics using diagrams and the english language, rather than mathematical notation. This approach makes basic statistics seem quite simple. I learned more from this book in a few hours than I did from an entire semester of college statistics (even though I got an "A" in the class). However, I wish the book included the formal notation associated with statistical concepts. If this notation was at least included as an appendix I would give the book 5 stars, notwithstanding some basic concepts it fails to include. In the end, I highly recommend this book for anyone who is having trouble understanding statistics. And if you really want to know statistics, use this book and a standard textbook. Then you should have Statistics 101 down cold.
Showing reviews 21-25 of 29
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