Elementary Statistics

I download an updated version of the software, still buggy. It might be a good idea to re-write this program for the next edition. (just don't hire Deitel and Deitel, then it would never work).


Typical.   March 10, 2003
Jeremy L. Carr (Pensacola, FL United States)
11 out of 24 found this review helpful

I give the one star rating to not just Triola but to most all the intro stats. books I have seen. Too many of them dumb down the material or have problems which are only pseudo-relevant to anything anyone cares about. If you are going to give a set of purely conceptual exercises to build understanding and clarity, GREAT! If you're going to give REAL applied problems that dig deep and tell people something they care about, GREAT! But if you're going to give half-hearted pseudo-applied problems that really aren't relevant to anything anyone would care about, THAT's BOGUS! I learned basic stats. from a book by McClave and Dietrich that was more rigorous and also had better applied problems. I also saw a book by Sullivan the other day that seemed to have more relevant applications. I've taught from Triola for 5 or 6 years and I'll be glad if we can finally drop him and get a better book. :)


Disliked teaching from it; my good students did not like it   September 24, 2002
18 out of 21 found this review helpful

I had to teach using this text for the last two years (the text choice was not in my control). I thought the text was entirely too wordy and too trite at times. For example, the first of only two examples to illustrate a two-way ANOVA had the two factors sex and type of M&M color eaten, where the dependent variable was SAT score. Certainly a better first example could have been chosen for one of the more difficult concepts in the book. Also, formulae sometimes are glossed over rather than explained or derived. How is the confidence interval related to the hypothesis test? This is explained but not derived. A derivation is not beyond the scope of the text. Another glossed over concept is degrees of freedom.

Thus, after the first semester, I wrote my own lecture notes, and only used the text to assign homework problems (and that was only to help out the TA so she could easily grade them using the solutions manual). Some of the exercises also have ridiculous contexts. Most exercises are too easy, and a few are downright insulting to some students. I received poor reviews from good students on this text. Many other students claimed never to have opened the book. It was too wordy (and too heavy), boring, and "never got to the point", are some of the comments I received.

Otherwise, the text's chapters follow almost every other elementary stats text on the planet, with some exceptions like a chapter on process control and a chapter devoted to calculating confidence intervals and estimating sample size. I disagree with relegating "nonparametric" tests to the back of the book. In my courses, I integrated them in with the "parametric" tests.

I gave the text two stars for effort and for some good points (I really think it deserves about a 2.3). The general discussion of hypothesis testing prior to actually showing any test statistics is good. Also, the vignettes about real people using elementary statistics in their jobs is a nice edition. Finally, there is a plethora of resources on the text's web site, and one can order other resources from the publisher.

But, I don't think a serious student will appreciate this text.


Not a dry, salty cracker!   July 20, 2002
Rick Bruner (Sun City, CA USA)
4 out of 7 found this review helpful

I agree with other reviewers that this book actually makes statistics fun and interesting! Triola makes a potentially dull subject quite enjoyable! Triola is a master of the dying art of teaching! Both the CD and the review sheet are extremely valuable and time saving! I wish more textbooks were written in this fashion! Mr. Triola will you please take up writing computer books?


GREAT THINKING, EVEN GREATER CLARITY OF EXPOSITION   February 2, 2002
Dr. Carlos H. Soto (San Juan, Puerto Rico USA)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is a gem! Even the excersises are loaded with information.
I would recommend this text to all who wish grace of exposition and depth of understanding.