Basic Statistics: Tales of Distributions (with CD-ROM)
"This writer looks into the underlying ideas behind many concepts in statistics and seeks to present these ideas and concepts in a way that is inviting to students. This updated Eight Edition of Spatz’s best-selling text, Basic Statistics, once again presents statistics in a way students will find fascinating, relevant, and above all, accessible. Professors and readers alike will find Spatz’s text not only interesting and easy to read, but exceptionally easy to learn from. Built into every chapter are a number of features that help students grasp major concepts and develop an understanding of statistical computations.""This book has an attractive layout, and it has a useful companion website containing errata, data sets and problem applications. The new edition is primarily for undergraduates, and it is intended to provide an introduction to statistical concepts and methodology as well as an overview of application and methods. The author met these objectives quite well, and provided a good "broad brush" introduction to statistical practice. The emphasis, however is not on mathematical rigor but on the application of techniques.""Students are easily overwhelmed by statistics, but the author sets out a clear ’plan of attack’ for the students in each chapter making each chapter seem a less daunting task.""The writing is excellent throughout. It takes a special talent to write with fluidity about statistics, Spatz has that talent. The chapters manage to be both concise and interesting, no small feat in statistics.""A great deal of thought has gone into the organization of this text. The topics are presented in a way that communicates the cumulative nature of statistics. Each chapter builds upon what has been presented previously providing a very rich look at the application of statistics to research. That said, I feel as though what makes this textbook really shine, separating it from the pack, is the final chapter. Chapter 15 takes all that is presented previously and ties it together in the greater context of research. By the end of a statistics course students have often lost sight of the ’big picture’. By including this chapter at the end, the author assures that the goal of statistics, namely to serve research, is reinforced.""Clarity, brevity, and MOST IMPORTANTLY a feeling that the author really cares about the students’ success! …Students have thanked me for selecting this text….""I think the overall strength of the text is that it’s pitched at a level that all students should be able to understand. …I also like the fact that the author works at connecting with the students (e.g., by asking them about how they’re doing). The "clue to the future" sections draw students’ attention to material that will become important later. … What I like best is the author’s description of the coefficient of determination. Spatz provides and incredibly clear definition of a concept that is very difficult for students to grasp."