Reviews (18)

needs improvement
My professor(who is a statistician) pointed out several problems in this text. Some times he was just in awe of the serious mistakes and liberties taken in this book. One that comes to mind is Mario's use of the Z-test when (in certain circumstances) really it would have been more accurate to use the T-test. Also, there are many little mistakes that should have been corrected by the seventh edition (in some of the examples etc). The book is okay if your just taking the course for a general ed. requirement...My professor, who himself has authored many high-level math textbooks found the book to be problematic. Perhaps there is a difference of opinion on the Z- versus t-test. Hopefully, the little mistakes (that aren't controversial) will be corrected before any new editions are published!

Excellent text for a intro course in stats.
I found this book to be user friendly with regards to learning statistical foundations. Concepts are presented in a clear understandable format. The use of Margin Essays describing real uses with people in their respective fields of employment were an enormous asset. I found this book to be very helpful with instructor/student interaction.

very good intro stats book
I think this is a great textbook. I have been reviewing texts for an AP statistics course and have settled on this book as a middle ground between very basic texts and rigorous textbooks for math majors.

It is not intended for math majors. I don't understand why reviewers are criticizing it for it not being more rigorous.

It has enough depth for intro undergrad stats, yet is adaptable to lower levels so some of the boneheads I have in high school can comprehend.

Excellent explanations. Very readable. Decent problem sets.

I approve.

thank you!
The book arrived promptly and was in excellent condition. Thank you for saving me time and money!

Frank
An absolutely outstanding text for conceptual development in elementary statistics. - I'm currently taking a statistical analysis course, and, after having read the vast majority of the text, I've found it to be the most clear and intelligently written text on the undergraduate market. (I've read most of the competing texts and they really don't compare). Clear, to the point, lucid prose - explaining not only the calculations, but also the CONCEPTS BEHIND THE PROCEDURES, is what seperates this text from the others. A lot of books lose the reader in computational detail without clearly explaining the ideas behind the procedures. - This book clearly surpasses the others in its conceptual clarity and insight that it offers into critical ideas left out of most other elementary texts I've read. I actually went out and got this book after seeing how clearly superior it was in communicating critical ideas necessary to understand the subject - relative to the text that was assigned by the professor for the course. The doctrinaire critiques I've read about the book are, to me, entirely unfounded. If you're looking for a good conceptual foundation in elementary statistics, and calculations that illustrate the concepts, you won't find a better text on the market. ... Read more

Book Description

ELEMENTARY STATISTICS: A STEP BY STEP APPROACH is for general beginning statistics courses with a basic algebra prerequisite. The book is non-theoretical, explaining concepts intuitively and teaching problem solving through worked examples and step-by-step instructions. This edition features increased emphasis on Excel, MINITAB, and the TI-83 Plus graphing calculator, computing technologies commonly used in such coureses. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I used this book for an online stats with ease.
I did not have the luxary of an instructor guide me through problems and have my questions clarified in class. I took the class online and I had no problem inderstanding how to wrok out the problems. It goes into detail on how to work out problems and gives examples step by step. There are also a lot of practice problems in the text with odd numbers answered for review. The CD in also a great learning advantage with some of the chapters with E-professor. Excellent to walk you through your stats course.

Excellent Statistics Book
Excellent college book and I intend to keep this in my library for future reference. This book was well done for the beginner and some advance users. This book covers many step-by-step solutions using excel and the "TI83 calculator." ... Read more

Book Description

This market leading text offers proven, comprehensive, applications-oriented approach. Written by authors who are highly regarded in the field, the text provides sound methodological development. The discussion and development of each technique is presented in an application setting, with the statistical results providing insights to decisions and solutions to problems. Statistics for Business and Economics, 9e offers proven accuracy that has led instructors to adopt it simply for its superior examples and exercises alone. ... Read more

Book Description

This new Fifth Edition of Zill and Cullen's best-selling book provides a thorough treatment of boundary-value problems and partial differential equations. This edition maintains all the features and qualities that have made Differential Equations with Boundary-Value Problems popular and successful over the years.Written in a straightforward, readable, helpful, not-too-theoretical manner, this new edition keeps the reader firmly in mind and strikes a perfect balance between the teaching of traditional content and the incorporation of evolving technology. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

excellent text for self-learners and non-freaks
Right after high school, I enrolled in a d.e. course at the local junior college (ok, I was a masochist). We used the Zill text, although not the boundary value problem edition. Needless to say, that book was a godsend b/c the instructor was horrible, so after awhile, I only showed up for class for exams, and self-studied on my own from that book. I recall that the book was fun and easy to understand.

Why is it good? It explains things in clear language. The proofs are laid out clearly. There are lots of example problems with solutions. This was critical in the portion of the book where he explains how to solve d.e.'s with variable coefficients. The book makes differential equations look interesting, which is important to capture readers. Zill also has a calc book, and mygoodness, that book was sort of repulsive b/c of the 70's style printing and the nasty brown colors. Looks are always a big thing, back then and now.

I'm not sure how applicable this text is for hard-core math majors, but definitely, if you are in engineering and don't require any weird esoteric understanding of the proofs that math people might need, this is text worth referring to. I can't comment on the BVP, though... However, it helped me to earn an A+ at Cal that first semester as a freshman, so he must be doing something right.

P's and Q's
Overall a good book; however, it is filled with small, yet significant, errors in the solutions, study manual and a few theorems. These errors though not major may cause confusion serious confusion.

Good book, for the most part.
The problem sets for each section were good. I used this book for Penn State's distance education ODE/PDE class. However, book should be supplemented with lectures, though. The chapter on Cauchy-Euler equations was lacking because it didn't tell you "why can we use this approach to solve these types of equations" (I had to ask my prof to show me why). On the plus side, it did have an intro to PDE's in the latter chapters, and was fairly thorough in the number of techniques covered for solving various types of DE's.

Classic Old Text
This is a book from the old school of ODE's. The absolute focus of this book is analytical methods and beats the algebra and integration drum to the exclusion of anything else. If you want to learn how ODE's were solved 25 years ago then this book is for you. If you are looking for a book that deals with more modern theory, or handles modeling in a constructive manner then this book is NOT a good choice.

interesting
Great for self study or as a course textbook. The problems are nice, and so are the explanations. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A Stand Alone Math Instructor
As a student of the Arts and Sciences, it is no secret that getting a competent mathematics professor is like winning the state lotto. Fortunately, for those venturing into statistics, your chances of playing those odds will be of no matter once you've had the help of this well-illustrated text. This book not only guides the student carefully through each statistical method, but the available exercises are solvable, realistic, and relevant to the examples as described. My reason for giving this book a 4 out of 5 is that there are two cases in which the book uses premature examples in the solution of one problem while in another problem, the given answer is not fully explained. All in all, this book could be the answer for any student needing clarification of the terms and principles that are usually abbreviated in the classroom lecture. To those of us left to fend for ourselves, this book provides the core material in understanding and solving statistics as well as the empowerment of comprehending the more complex of problems found on certain exams.

Fun but most students found it difficult to follow
At our college, we tried to use this textbook for a year, and at numerous requests by students and faculty, we have had to select another book for the upcomming year for general introductory statsitics courses. Most students found the layout of the book confusing, as it is very choppy. Instead of writing the formulas, supplimenting theory to explain them, and then giving examples, the author chops these sections and mixes them through out the book. Most students found the book hard to follow. Instructors almost always needed supplimentry material and found the book somewhat challenging to teach from. However, students found the examples to be fascinating and diverse, from measuring measuring glucose in cockroaches' "hindguts" to Mickey Mantel's batting average. Especially with the C.D., it is an excellent suppliment to any textbook to illistrate the real life applicability of statistics to non-mathematics majors, but not helpful in explaining concepts to students in of itself.

Good introduction to statistics
This book is a good introduction to statistics and is quite easy to understand with excellent examples, though a few parts of it can get a bit technical. For anyone wishing to learn introductory statistics, I would recommend this book.

Jumps into things, but uses great examples
My instructor did a decent job explaining things that the book did not make clear. Quite often, the book went from basic to intermediate/advanced without any transition or guide. I've seen several other books with better explanations, but as far as statistical examples are concerned, it's excellent. If you're learning Statistics on your own, you may want to find an easier book to teach you the concept, then use this book to work out the example problems and advance your knowledge.

Worthless book good only for fire
Maybe it was because of my college professor, but I could not stand this stuff! Most of it doesn't make sense and isn't really too useful. But there are probably worse math books. ... Read more

Book Description

* Includes new and expanded coverage of Six Sigma infrastructure building and benchmarking.
* Provides plans, checklists, metrics, and pitfalls. ... Read more

Reviews (45)

A clear roadmap to successful Six Sigma implementation
Forrest Breyfogle's new text, "Implementing Six Sigma", provides clear and well-defined examples, case studies and guidelines for the justification, design and "smarter" implementation of Six Sigma methodologies in any organization. The practical examples of "Smarter Solutions Using Statistical Methods" show how organizations can enhance the bottom-line benefits of Six Sigma implementation through the innovative application of proven concepts. Breyfogle's real world experience in assisting clients like IBM, Motorola and Dell is evident on every page.

The unique value of the book is in it's multi-tiered approach to each of these issues. Concepts are introduced, discussed and documented in several levels of detail, each suitable to a different reader, from the non-technical senior executive, through the implementing functional manager, to the working quality engineer.

An excellent glossary and extensive reference tables make this book a valuable addition to any professional reference library. Pragmatic "how to" guidelines make it an easy to follow roadmap for successful Six Sigma implementation.

A "Must Have" for Six Sigma and QE Practitioners
The first edition of Implementing Six Sigma was the best book available for Six Sigma practitioners and quality engineers. The second edition increases the lead over other contenders.

First of all, Six Sigma is defined as a system that improves business performance through cost reduction and revenue growth by improving all business processes and increasing customer satisfaction. It is not just a quality improvement system.

Second, all of the statistical tools are described, explained and illustrated with real world examples. And in addition:
• The Seven Management Tools to analyze "idea data"
• Lean tools to reduce waste as defined by Taichi Ohno
• Theory of Constraints to identify and break bottlenecks
• Project Management and Change Management
• Team effectiveness
• Creativity
are all integrated into "Smarter Six Sigma Solutions" to provide a holistic approach to business improvement.

In other words, if you want to make real improvements in real life business situations, this is the book to show you how to do it. Also, if you want to pass the ASQ Six Sigma Black Belt certification exam, there is no better text.

A Very Comprehensive Source
I bought this book directly from the author out of the trunk of his car, so I can tell you that you definitely get a better price from amazon.com. Anyway, this is without a doubt, the most comprehensive book on the subject. Breyfogle has gone to a lot of trouble to make sure that he has covered all aspects of Six Sigma in sufficient detail that the reader will be able to apply these methodologies successfully from the start. One of the key ingredients he spends a lot of time on is the idea of focusing and aligning efforts with corporate or organizational goals and metrics. These he refers to as the "satellite level"*. There are lower operational levels (30,000 foot and below) that need to be aligned with the satellite level in order that six sigma projects are driven for most effectiveness to the organization.

Forrest Breyfogle has been a quality leader in our community (Austin, Texas) for a number of years. I knew him since his days at IBM in the early '90s. That doesn't mean that I can't give an unbiased view of this book, however. Note I'm not giving it 5 stars as some have done. I am trying to give it a fair assessment, however. I've seen many technical books of this nature written in a more conversational way that are a little easier to read with better vocabulary, grammar, and organization. But if you want a book that covers it all, there is nothing out there I know of that can beat this one.

This book claims to focus on both product and service quality. However, as with many books that claim to cover the service sector, it is a little weak in that area. There are some books that cover services better than this one, I think, and so if that is your specialty, you may want to use one of those books to supplement the treatment of six sigma in this book. I like "Ultimate Six Sigma" by Keki Bhote. That book uses the concept of NOAC (Next Operation As Customer) to drive interdepartmental process improvement. Bhote is a big fan of Dorian Shainin, the consummate engineer of quality tools, and he is now arrogantly calling some of the Shainin tools "Shainin/Bhote" tools. But I've seen a lot of books that look like advertising brochures for consultants. His and Breyfogle's book both have that fault. But I have to like them simply because they are comprehensive, authoritative, and useful. I think the advertising brochure syndrome is really the fault of publishers that let authors get away with it. I would think a respected technical publisher like Wiley would not accept that kind of tone in any of its books. But like "Coke C2" and low carb bread, we are swamped with advertising from every direction and it only gets worse.

Another good book you might want to consider is "Lean Six Sigma for Service" by Michael L. George. This book specializes in only the service sector and is therefore, a very good book for that kind of work with some excellent case studies.

*Service Mark of Smarter Solutions

Hastily Assembled and Poorly Organized
When my wife brought this home from her Six Sigma Green Belt training, I eagerly opened it and spent a couple hours reviewing it's "treasures". I was disappointed.

As a provider of Six Sigma Training and a certifed Black Belt myself, I had expected better from one of the most recognized names in the field. Breyfogle and his team have assembled several meaningful aspects of the Six Sigma art. However, any sense of flow or logical progression were interrupted by commercials for his company's "unique" approach. His team's frequent use of poorly defined vocabulary added to the confusion. Most disturbing, however, was the characterization of the value of the "wisdom of the organization", which could mislead potential implementers of the method to minimize the critical need for empirical data collection and analysis. They seem to promote the the more typical, "Ask Larry, he knows".

Typos, confusing sentence structure, and poor publishing practices lead me to wonder if Dr. B reads his own defect reduction philosophies. The Voice of the Customer in this instance says: el Stinko.

If you buy this book, you will find use in it. It's a good collection of techniques and ideas, and many of the examples are helpful. However, I would suggest looking for something cheaper and more professionally executed. The price may lead you to believe that this is the consumate work of the field. If it is, I guess that's good news for you and me. Without much effort, we could write and publish a better Six Sigma book than this shallow collection of Clip Art, rambling prose, and poorly referenced diagrams.

Better than Ever
The second edition of Implementing Six Sigma, by Forrest Breyfogle, substantially updates and enriches the original work. In it's current form it may very well be the most comprehensive source of information about the practical application of statistical techniques in Six Sigma work.

Like the previous edition, it is a highly informative book that illustrates how to tightly integrate balanced scorecard metrics with improvement techniques, to include Lean, Six Sigma, and theory of constraints (TOC) tools. Breyfogle's expanded step-by-step project execution roadmap illustrates when Lean/Six Sigma tools can be used to significant effect throughout the define-measure-analyze-improve-control (DMAIC) improvement cycle in a variety of settings.

Other reviewers in the field have found the new book to be of significant value as well.
Writing in the February 2004 ASQ "Six Sigma Forum Magazine", Roger Hoerl, Manager of the Applied Statistics Laboratory at GE's Global Research Center categorized the work as "an excellent text for a technically oriented course for Black Belts or Master Black Belts...the most complete compilation of Six Sigma tools on the market."

In the same publication, William Parr, Department of Statistics at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, stated "This is the best overall reference, providing encyclopedic coverage of statistical and statistically related topics that are of use in Six Sigma work.

With this well-deserved professional recognition, Breyfogle firmly positions himself as a world-class authority in the application of successful techniques to the implementation of Six Sigma - and his latest work as the "how to" guide to success. ... Read more

Book Description

This book takes a practical approach to multivariate data analysis, with an introduction to the most commonly encountered statistical and multivariate techniques. Using Multivariate Statistics provides practical guidelines for conducting numerous types of multivariate statistical analyses. It gives syntax and output for accomplishing many analyses through the most recent releases of SAS, SPSS, and SYSTAT, some not available in software manuals. The book maintains its practical approach, still focusing on the benefits and limitations of applications of a technique to a data set - when, why, and how to do it. Overall, it provides advanced users with a timely and comprehensive introduction to today's most commonly encountered statistical and multivariate techniques, while assuming only a limited knowledge of higher-level mathematics. For those interested in statistical analysis. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

One one of the best applied stat. books ever, excellent!
Many statistical books, particularly multivariate ones,are, - let's face it- boring, heavy-going and ugly. Formulae are used as if to terrify and frighten, not to illustrate or show, and textual passages are all too often chock full of outright fibs such as 'it will be clear that', or, 'the reader will see that' or - a sure sign that something truly monstrous is to follow - 'it is obvious that'. Not so Tabachnick and Fidell's great book. Everything is clear and well set-out, with lots of real examples. Unlike many textbooks, it does not assume that you got your data out of a textbook, it shows how to analyze real data, how to check statistical assumptions and what to do about violations of those assumptions. Although some of the information on statistical packages may now be a little dated, the program inputs and outputs are supplied, as are written-up reports of the results, similar to how they would appear in a socio-behavioral journal. I've been using the various three editions of this truly wonderful book since 1985 and think it should be on the desk of every professional, aspiring or sometime data analyst or statistician!

It's a classic, the first big buy for MV stats
This book is a classic. It is the first major purchase you should make for multivariate techniques. In my opinion, it is not a theoretical book, yet it is not a cookbook either. For novices, it provides enough rigor and theory to prevent one from having too many unanswered questions. However, it does not bombard the reader with so much theory that practicality is lost. It's a great way to begin looking at multivariate stats. If your research necessitates deeper analysis, you can find it in other books, but without an adequate foundation, such as that provided for by this book, it will be difficult to tackle more advanced texts. The book costs too much, which is a drawback. It is a shame that books are getting in the ridiculous category for pricing. With that said, this is a book that you will be able to keep for quite a while. The techniques presented are durable and the conepts are timeless for the most part. New statistical methods that are currently being developed are generally available in small booklets ...for cheap prices. Reading this text will make most of those 'new' methods understandable. So, in that regard, it may be a good purchase. But, your best bet is to hit the college bookstore a week before the semester to find a used copy in excellent condition. For the reviewer from Brazil, he should put down the thesaurus and re-read the book. For the rest of us, let's be thankful for people like that for they often return these books to the bookstore in a huff of frustration, with the books barely opened and ripe for the taking at a used price. Great text, should stay on your shelf for years, just try to find a good deal on one.

Putting the 't' back into statistics ...
There's a reason why some students leave out the first and soften the second 't' in the word 'statistics'. Well, not if working with this book.
Doing a lot of multivariate analyzes in the course of my research and teaching research-methods to graduate students, I repeatedly find this book a treasure I would not want to do without. The advice is well organized, hands-on with guidelines to follow and explanations on how to run and interpret analyzes in SPSS, it's sufficiently detailed (though not overbearingly so) and quite complete, and clearly written and easy to understand (honestly, whoever tells you differently hasn't read any of the alternatives).
Yes, the price is scary - unfortunately, since that price is the only thing keeping this book from being a best-seller and a student-favourite. However, if you plan on doing any multivariate stats for a little bit longer than a few months (longer than your University Library will be happy to lend this book to you, that is), it pays off. This book is excellent, and often, after searching through my SPSS handbooks, my Stevens and Cohens (all very good books themselves), I return to this one, finally finding the information I need, and in the digestible format that I need. A definite keeper.

Tabachnik's Multivariate Statistics
This is the 'statistical bible' for graduate students or professors performing multivariate statistics in their research. It explains every concept, provides examples, and explains different statistical programs. All of this information is provided in easy to understand terminology. It is worth the steep price tag because I use it all the time. As a researcher, I perform multivariate stastics frequently and this book is a great resource.

Good How to Do Books
I have used earlier versions of this book throughout my professional life. It is a handy quick reference for the more advanced practitioner who wants to explore techniques that they have not used before. Or, to refresh one's memory on techniques that have not been used for awhile. This book is also very useful for training junior practitioners in multivariate techniques. There is enough detail to satisfy those asking more detailed questions about techniques without overwelming those less inclined to pore over mathematical formula. Steps and tests are well laid out, with enough discussion so that the reader understands the value and importance of working through the standard routines and assumption checks. It also offers important pratical steps in how to design and run specific statistical procedures in the common statistical packages.

Given the increasingly user-friendly statistical software on the market, this book offers a quick antidote for the rising number of button pushers, by showing budding statisticians the implications of using a technique ignorantly. This is done without making the technique inscrutable to the reader.

While the new edition offers some additional information - the cost conscious buyer could easily find considerable value in older editions. ... Read more

Book Description

Written for successful study, every aspect of Elementary Statistics: Picturing the World has been carefully crafted to help readers learn statistics.Chapter topics cover an introduction to statistics, descriptive statistics, probability, discrete probability distributions, normal probability distributions, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing with one sample, hypothesis testing with two-samples, correlation and regression, chi-square tests and the F-distribution, and nonparametric tests.For individuals who want to learn statistics. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Elementary Statistics by Larson et al.
This work is geared for the above average arts or business
student. It has a good coverage of the various probability
density functions and hypothesis testing and evaluation. A typical chapter has important definitions set forth, a "Try
It Yourself" problem set, notes to the instructor, numerous
exercises and an exhaustive summary. In chapter 1, the four levels of measurement are depicted. i.e. Nominal, Ordinal,
Interval and Ratio . The author provides a simple experimental
design consisting of identifying variables, developing a
detailed plan for collecting data, actual data collection,
descriptive statistics techniques and inferential statistics.

This book could be covered in one semester with the following
organization:
Data Collection Chapter 1
Scales, frequency Chapter 2
Probability Chapter 3
Distributions Chapter 4
Normal Distribution Chapter 5
Confidence Intervals Chapter 6
Hypothesis Testing Chapter 7
Correlation/Regression Chapter 9

Moving Averages

Chi Square Chapter 10

Theory of Expected Value

General Review and Finals

The appendix of the work contains an excellent presentation
on how to find areas under the standard normal curve. Overall,
the work presents a very ambitious agenda aimed at the
above-average collegiate student. The book could be supplemented
with the Schaum's Outline in Statistics. Students may utilize
a statistical calculator to assist with the work of the course.

Confusing!
I had to purchase this book for an online stats course - BIG mistake! The organization of the book is so incredibly confusing, and the "expanding the basics" problems are not illustrated in the chapter, nor do they have answers with which to check your answers. I have taken other reasoning courses (in class and online) and they were organized much better, with relevant examples that explained every step -- perfect for anyone who is basically trying to teach him/herself! I hope mathematics teachers nationwide realize how difficult this text is for students to follow. Consider another text!

A terrible...book.
I have been forced to purchase the second edition of this book, which is similar to the first edition, but with CD rom for the data set instead of diskettes in the first edition. Also, the numbering for the problem sets have been altered, probably to make more money by making the first book obsolete.

The only reason I had to buy the book was to do the problem set. The book itself has terrible organization as a reference, where a few crutial concepts are discussed briefly, in a overwhelming mixture of examples and practice problems. Perhaps this is all well if you are trying to read the text from cover to cover, but unfortunately that won't help student learn any faster if they have to mull over unimportant details outside of the lecture.

Edward Tufte will have a field day with the barrage of unnecessary use of color and unprofessional (confusing) layout of the charts, tables and graphs (what he calls "the ducks"). The conventions used in the books are used inconsistently, and *every* page has at least three colors, which drives up the printing cost for no good reason other than profit. Furthermore, it is printed on glossy paper, where it's glare will strain the eyes and it is hard to mark with pencil. I will preach against using glossy paper for texts until someone listens!

Fortunately, the book calms down after the absolutely terrible first three chapters, but it still manages to waste pages and pages on useless information (to most) such as step-by-step instruction on how to use a TI-83 calculator - each time I open a page filled with screen shot of applications that I will never touch, I feel insulted and ripped off. Why not use the CD for these screenshots?? Doesn't TI-83 come with a user's manual???

I understand that the book strives to be a tutorial, augmenting what a poorly trained instructor may miss during a lecture, but it also tries to be a textbook which supplements a lecture. Unfortunately, the two concepts do not mix well together in a book. This is a worthless book after the lecture, and I do not intend to keep it for reference.

I have "inherited" DeVore & Peck's "Statistics: Exploration and Analysis of Data" - and found that to be more informative and engaging introduction to statistics and probability.

It is sad to hear that Larson & Farber is a popular book - it makes me shudder to think of all the high-school students out there learning the horrible examples of presentation of data. I hope that these authors will realize that insulting the readers' intelligence by diluting the content will only alienate them. I hope they fix their ways.

Very Ambitious Introduction to Stat!
Plentiful, practical examples by picture and problem sets related to our lives! The authours make use of an up-to-date approach using web, CD-ROM, MINITAB, TI-83 and Videos, in order to deepen understandings in statistics. You can start learning or going over stat from high school level. This is the best introduction to statistics! ... Read more

Book Description

The emphasis of the text is on data analysis, modeling, and spreadsheet use in statistics and management science. This text contains professional Excel software add-ins. The authors maintain the elements that have made this text a market leader in its first edition: clarity of writing, a teach-by-example approach, and complete Excel integration. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Better Title: Intro to Statistics using Excel Add-ins
On the positive side, this book has many excellent case studies and examples. It is well written and interesting. However, I was disappointed, as I was expecting use of Excel to rigorously solve decision making and data analysis problems. The focus of the book is mostly traditional statistics solved using a group of commercial add-ins for Excel. If this is what you want, then the book would get five stars. However, for data analysis and decision making, I think a more thorough treatment using Excel without relying so much on the add-ins would have been appropriate.

Serious Excel 2000 Problem
The text book is great. I have many of Winston's other books and they are all great. The Palisade stuff works just fine. However, the StatPro Addin that accompanies this text does not work with MS Excel 2000. I contacted the IT guy that the authors directed me to--he was stumped. He just gave up and suggested I return my book for a refund because he could not figure out it out. Again, the book is great but the StatPro Addin sucks!

No trouble with Excel
I find the text and software a useful set of tools. It assumes familiarity with basic statistics and Excel, and builds on them to develop a powerfull ability to analize data and make decisions from it. I experienced no trouble with the software install or operation.

MS Office 2000 compatability problems!!
Just purchased the book as a tool for MBA classes. However, after installing the accompanying CD ROM add-ons I had problems accessing MS Office programs. A critical .DLL file was modified by the program during my installation. I think the program was made to run with MS Excel 97. Another suggestion for the author is to include an answers CD ROM for the problems contained in the text so that students and professionals can check their work.

Excellent MBA - level textbook and software.
Finally MBA probability/statistics course and MS Excel have been unified in one textbook. The accompanying software is great, especially Decision Tree (probably the only Excel-based software for decision making). Students like business-oriented excersises in the book. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

This introduction to statistics presents balanced coverage of both the theory and application of statistics and at the same time helps learners develop and enhance their critical thinking skills. It teaches readers how to analyze data that appear in situations in the world around them and features an abundance of examples and exercises—nearly all based on current, real-world applications pulled from journals, magazines, news articles, and commerce.Chapter topics cover statistics, data, and statistical thinking; methods for describing sets of data; probability; discrete random variables; continuous random variables; sampling distributions; inferences based on a single sample: estimation with confidence intervals; inferences based on a single sample: tests of hypotheses; inferences based on two samples: confidence intervals and tests of hypotheses; analysis of variance: comparing more than two means; simple linear regression; multiple regression and model building; categorical data analysis; and nonparametric statistics.For individuals who want to learn the fundamentals of statistics. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Wonderful Introductory Text
Often using real-life examples taken from the media, McClave presents materials in an orderly fashion. Sub-sections are small (usually 5-6 pages) and problem sets are very nicely divided into Mechanics, Basic, and Advanced problems. My only dislike was chapter 3 counting rules, which seemed to be added without proper foundation. As both a student and now a tutor of this text, I find McClave's level of explanation sufficent for an introductory text.

Is there a solution manual for this book????
First of all I am not a statistics major and although I find statistics to be a very interesting but challenging subject I am afraid to say that so far I have not been very successful .... I need extra help and I have not yet found the solution manual for this textbook and I am amazed at the fact that there isn't one ? Can anyone help me...

Thanx

Norma_Zuniga@yahoo.com

Probablity and counting methods sections weak as usual,
Having taken an introductory college course that used this book up through most of chapter 9 (infrences based on two-samples using confidence intervals and hyopthesis tesing), I must say as usually happens in intro stat textbooks, the probablity chapter (3) is the weakest area, it needs more worded explinations on counting rules to clarify seemingly ambiguous situations. I've also heard professors complain that some of the examples used are over simplified and ignore obvious possiblities in the interpertations of results that add new dimentions to the problem. Not to mention the whole things needs a few more passes by some competent editors, as there's quite a few painfully obvious mistakes and misprints. Other than that, it's understandable enough, the applications problems are welcome, if occasionally flawed. For a more intensive introduction to general statistics, I suggest you seek a textbook that wasn't aimed at the widest possible market. (try the texts that say something like: statistics for engineers)

Excellent text for Advanced Placement statistics course
I was a member of the text selection committee that chose this book for our school division's advanced placement statistics course. It was a wise decision. The text is filled with contemporary examples that grab a student's attention. It is particularly good at using technology both in the exercises and in the discussion. My students were very comfortable with the reading level, and DID READ the text! I especially liked the project suggestions at the end of each chapter. The text's one weakness is the discussion and placement of the linear regression material. I needed a simpler approach and to do it much earlier in the course (after chapter 2). I had to supplement with material from other sources. However, this is a rather minor complaint compared to the text's many other strengths. ... Read more

Book Description

This book builds theoretical statistics from the first principles of probability theory. Starting from the basics of probability, the authors develop the theory of statistical inference using techniques, definitions, and concepts that are statistical and are natural extensions and consequences of previous concepts. Intended for first-year graduate students, this book can be used for students majoring in statistics who have a solid mathematics background. It can also be used in a way that stresses the more practical uses of statistical theory, being more concerned with understanding basic statistical concepts and deriving reasonable statistical procedures for a variety of situations, and less concerned with formal optimality investigations. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Outstanding though challenging intro to math. stat.
IMHO the best introduction to Probability Theory and Inferential Statistics. Because it doesn't say "Mathematical Statistics" in the title I ignored it for years and iterated between several other good texts. But Casella & Berger is more accurate, more up-to-date, and/or more fun to read. It strikes a better balance among topics and among schools of thought. It is furthermore exceptionally lucid and original, and very carefully edited. The organisation of the text is perfectly coherent, but this doesn't make it easy to skip difficult parts or concepts. The use of the book is also somewhat constrained by the author's effort at using nonstandard and challenging examples and problems (euphemistically called exercises). In practice I have to provide standard exercises to (econometrics) students as additional material. I am slightly uneasy with the unequal treatment of some items, many being emphasized as numbered propositions whereas others are just mentioned in the text. I similarly regret the cursory treatment of asymptotic distributions and asymptotic efficiency (for the purposes of econometrics). I do not like the exposition of Analysis Of Variance, but on the other hand I marvel at the stimulating treatment of linear regression in the last chapter.

Quibbles apart, Casella & Berger is a demanding but most rewarding and stimulating introduction to (so-called) mathematical statistics, and in particular it is exceptionally dependable and witty. Beginning students may require some complementary material in the form of standard exercises and worked-out examples.

Excellent introduction to mathematical staticstics, but...
We used this one as text in the senior undergraduate course this semester. This book is an excellent introduction to mathematical statistics but probably too difficult for most undergraduate students to learn in just one semester.

In my opinion, to read this book you Do need a strong background in calculus. Having taken courses like real analysis, introductory probability/statistics is helpful but not so necessary.

Most difinitions and proofs are clear and precise. The examples are good, but the authors quite often refer to the previous ones, which may be anoying for many readers. The excercises are great but take a lot of time to work out. In my case, each one took me about one hour on average. And I feel that quite some problems require "mathematics" besides knowlege of statistics. I recommend that you solve as many excercises as possible. Our Professor assigned at least 20 from each chapter as homework.

One more thing, I bought the first printing of the book, and found quite a few typos. You can download from the author's homepage the errata list but that doesn't cover all.

In conclusion if you are a serious math student interested in mathematical statistics, I think this is a good book for you.

Probably the best book for a newcomer to statistics
I found myself wanting to learn statistics and spent many hours browsing the stat books at the Stanford book store - and this book had it all. Some of the proofs are relegated to exercises and this is both fun and maddening! If you have a basic math background - a physicist or engineer equivalent - you will have no problems understanding the book. It's expensive - but you will have months (if not years!) of fun with it. There are many typographical errors in the book but many of them are found in the "errata" at the end. Now, if some one came up with a solution manual for this...

Excellent textbook for introductory to modern statistics
If you have basic trainings in calculus, you'll love this book. The book is almost good for self-study. It's very well written and easy to follow. This book provides a good introduction to theoretical statistics with good examples.
Compare to many badly written mathematics books by famous mathematicians that gave me terrible experiences, I strongly recommend this book. As I was reading this book, I constantly recalled the hard time I experienced when I used Royden's "Real Analysis" or M. Artin's "Algebra". These two books are classical math textbooks that are appraised by many mathematicians. But according to my knowledge, many students extremely hate these two textbooks simply because these two books are hard to follow unless you read other textbooks. In my eyes, these "bad" textbooks are good only for those who have already mastered the contents (for exmaple, professors who have taught this subject for their entire lives). As for me, after I completely understood the topics, I found these two books are quite useful as reference books. But still I believe these two books are not good for entry-level students if they know little about the subjects in the books. As contrary, Casella-Berger's book is very good for entry-level students. Good knowledge in calculus is sufficient for you to easily follow this book. Moreover, the content of this book is not simple, it contains almost all of modern statistics.( many poor calculus books are written in such a way that in order to please the students, the author intentionally omitted some important subjects and/or reduced the level of the contents. By doing so, the author became famous and the book went to best-selling, and the students, without any working, are happy to wrongly believe that they know everything while they don't at all!). "Statistical Inference" is good only because it is carefully written. Casella-Berger are not only outstanding researchers, they are also good educators, They know students, they know at what point students would encounter difficulty and at this point, the readers will find an appropriate example to help them out. After reading many bad mathematics textbooks, I believe that mathematician are trying to make our lives more miserable, and this is one of the reasons I lost my interests in mathematics, though I am one of the best students according to many professors. After I finished the reading of Statistical Inference, I immediately fell in love with statistics, I believe statisticians are trying to make our lives better. While I was going through "Statistical Inference", I was also reading Richard Durrett's "Probability: theory and examples", a widely used typical textbook in probability for first year PhD student in statistics. Compare to majority entry-level PhD students in statistics, I have much stronger back ground in mathematics (I mastered the subject of Lebesgue Measure, Integration and Differentiation), yet I experienced the same hard time as I did in some other math classes. My blame can only go to the bad written textbook, I have to read other textbook to understand the topic, and this is absolutely not good for a not-stupid and hard working student. I am always curious that among all the textbooks available, why mathematicians prefer the textbooks that will give students more hard time. For the same topic, using different explanation, students will have different feelings, why can't the professor pick up the more friendly written books for the sake of student's easy understanding and their continuing interests in the area?

My belief was strengthened after completing the reading of Casella-Berger's "Statistical Inference" and R. Durrett's "Probability", that one must keep away from mathematicians as far as possible since your life will be tough if you are close to them. And as for myself, I won't do research in probability since the book "Probability" gave me the impression that more mathematicians are involved in the area of probability theory. I'll go with Casella Berger, concentrate on the filed of statistical inference since scientists in this particular field are trying to make our lives better.

For those who indeed want to learn statistics and who have no strong specific back ground, I strongly recommend Casella Berger's "Statistical Inference"!

very good, but it is difficult material for many people
If you've read a lot of reviews pertaining to texts often used in difficult courses such as physics, grad level math & stats, etc, then you know that invariably a student victimizes a book during the semester. As a student and an instructor, I can safely say that the grade often correlates with the opinion of the book, usually the opinion of the book follows the student's perception of his or her grade in the class. This book is used for some difficult classes, but I can assure you, without being too specific, that it is well written. This material is difficult. I'm not a stats wizard, but I do like the subject area. I will say this: having been a graduate student at the University of Florida, any of the texts authored by the stats faculty there are excellent (ie: Agresti, Mendenhall, Khuri, Casella, and others). It is an outstanding faculty and I have had lectures from all of those professors. Reading their texts is just as clear as listening to them during office hours. My main point is that this is a very good text book. If you want it as a reference, get it. If you want it to supplement another text for your stats class, get it. Just make sure that you have a professor equally as knowledgeable about stats as the author, otherwise, it may be difficult to get help with difficult sections. I suspect the student that wrote from San Diego does not have an instructor that either follows this text closely, or adequately understands the material (I hope it is not the latter). Get this book and keep it around, you will reference before, during, and many years after your studies are through. ... Read more

Book Description

Well-suited for the non-statistician, this applications-oriented introductionto multivariate analysis focuses on the fundamental concepts that affect the use of specific techniques rather than the mathematical derivation of the technique.Provides an overview of several techniques and approaches that are available to analysts today — e.g., data warehousing and data mining, neural networks and resampling/bootstrapping. Chapters are organized to provide a practical, logical progression of the phases of analysis and to group similar types of techniques applicable to most situations. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

The Magic Multivariate Book
I've used this book (various editions) since graduate school -- more years ago than I care to admit. It is written in English rather than in "statistics" and gives a terrific conceptual overview of the research techniques. I keep it as a reference and use it regularly. If you want to understand multivariate stats without having to wade through a lot of symbols, this book is great. I also find it very useful when I'm trying to come up with a layman's explanation for management.

A GREAT reference
I took multivariate in Ph.D. school. Our professor didn't have a book (just his notes), so I had no book to be loyal to when I got out. I was given this book once I graduated and consider it to be a fabulous reference. I can't speak to *learning* multivariate techniques out of it because that's not been my experience with this book.

I use it as a reference- to refresh myself on a technique, or to consult when I run into a problem- this book has yet to let me down and has been able to answer any question or solve any problem that I've had.

You see this book cited in academic behavioral research, but the book does a great job of explaining things in a managerial way as well.

Other of these reviews have criticized it for going on too long on an example or a technique- for that I PRAISE this book- I WANT that extra information. I'm reminded of that quote from "Amadeus"- "Too many notes." I WANT as many notes as I can get- that's what makes it so much more helpful.

If you are looking for a great reference book for multivariate techniques, look no further.

A very useful reference in Multivariate Statistical Analysis
The more powerful and advance research techniques becomes, the more easy it is for an average analyst to go astray. This is what the text is aimed for: it helps build a very solid conceptual foundation for researchers when using multivariate analysis. Concepts are clearly delineated and criterias to using / NOT using a certain techique are also fully outlined (Chapter 1&2). Incidentally, this is not a step-by-step or so-called quick-fix manual that guides the readers what buttons to look for in the SPSS/SAS.

An excellent book!
This book is an excellent source of information on multivariate analysis techniques. I especially like the flowcharts used for determining which analysis method to use as well as the flowcharts showing what steps to take for the analysis method chosen. If you have a good basic knowledge of statistics and a good head on your shoulders, you will have no problem understanding the methods presented.

Great book
This is the best applied book on multivariate analysis I know. It clearly explains how to do statistical analyses and how to interpret the output. Clear examples throughout. Syntax supplied for each type of multivariate analysis in both SPSS and SAS, with LISREL notation for CFA. In addition to specific techniques (factor analysis, multiple regression, multiple discriminant analysis, MANOVA, conjoint analysis, canonical correlation, cluster analysis, multidimensional scaling, structural equation modeling/CFA) excellent sections on structuring data, cleaning data, and handling missing data. While mathematical sophistication always helps in stat, this book doesn't require it. No knowledge of matrix algebra needed to understand this book. Few if any formulas. Emphasis is on logic rather than math. ... Read more

Book Description

The sixth edition of this best-selling text balances solid mathematical coverage with a comprehensive overview of mathematical ideas as they relate to varied disciplines. This book provides an appreciation of mathematics, highlighting mathematical history, applications of mathematics to the arts and sciences across cultures, and introduces students to the uses of technology in mathematics.Exercise sets are now organized into Concept/Writing, Practice the Skills, Problem Solving, Challenge Problems/Group Activities, Research Activities. An updated Consumer Math section including updated material on sources of credit and mutual funds.Motivational, chapter-opening material demonstrates connections between math and various other disciplines.KEY MARKET For those who require a general overview of mathematics, especially in the fields of elementary education, the social sciences, business, nursing and allied health fields. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

EXCELLENT REFERENCE FOR BEGINNING & ADVANCED UNDERGRADUATES
I have been teaching out of Angel & Porter for the last three years. It has quite a few good examples, though I agree with the first reviewer's comment that it does need more challenging problems.

Among the topics I have covered are: inductive reasoning, set concepts, symbolic logic, truth tables, algebra, applied geometry, probability, statistics, and mathematics of finance. Though the examples are laid out fairly well for those who are mathematically inclined, the teacher who happens to have quite a few students with weak mathematical skills is often finding himself or herself in situations of having to create ways to become an effective expositor of mathematical theorems and applications. In other words, by trying to explain what the authors are providing in their examples, the instructor is frequently shouldering the added burden of making this book come to life not only from a mathematical perspective but also from a communicative standpoint.

On a positive note, however, there are several excellent applications, and the range of topics is quite broad. Oftentimes there is a gap between the level of advanced high school mathematics and that of a four-year university that is so serious that even a student who performed A's in high school will struggle in the type of college math course he or she is placed in. Fortunately, Angel and Porter have been able to fill in quite a few of the missing pieces.

Idiots
I taught from an earlier edition of this book at Ivy Tech in Bloomington, Indiana while working on a PhD at Indiana University. Ivy Tech had already selected this text. Too bad. While that was around 1994, I can still recall a number of FACTUAL ERRORS. I had to tell my students that the text was wrong. Among the errors: The clear implication (though not explicitly stated) that the algebraic numbers included all the reals - that is they didn't even seem to be aquainted with the transedentals; there was another error regarding conditional probabilities... I can't recall exactly, but I can remember showing the errors to fellow doctoral students (now at UN, Reno and UC, Davis) for a good laugh. What were the reviewers doing? I guess they're a bunch of incompetents as well. To the publisher: Have some real mathematicians review math books.

Could use some more problems
This book does the job of teaching some mathematics to those with liberal-arts majors. However, over at Wayne State, we are constantly bemoaning the lack of extra problems for students to practice what they have learned (especially in light of the fact that we cover only half of the chapters of this book in a single one semester course). This is especially apparent with the probability and statistics chapters. Overall I can see this text being a commendable effort on the part of Angel and Porter to bring mathematics to those who would normally shun it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good stuff!
This actually is a fantastic textbook.

De Veaux and Velleman are realists; they know that you don't want to read everything. They have taken the liberty of highlighting important parts of their explanations. (They also highlighted a bit of advice recommending that students read more than just the highlighted text-they have a good sense of humor that shows up throughout the book.) The authors also provide a fantastic summary of "Key Concepts" at the end of each chapter.

Also, they have clearly gone to great lengths to find interesting topics to use in their exercises. There are very few mind numbing homework problems. You know the type: "In the following data about the most frequently purchased brand of toenail clippers..."
How about a question like this: What is the likelihood that reading a randomly selected example question will be more painful that attempting to swallow the textbook it came from? If you're selecting from Intro Stats, put down your fork and knife, because De Veaux and Velleman have gathered some topics that I think most people will genuinely find interesting. Such topics include: drug use among teenagers, stance on the death penalty, changes in average marriage age, and many others.

I've never felt compelled to review a textbook before, but this one is worth it. It's good stuff, my friends. Good stuff!

(Almost) Math-less Stats
This is a well-organized, nicely put-together textbook, with lots of step-by-step examples to give you a good base of understanding and lots of problems and section reviews to allow you to apply and extend that understanding. If you're intimidated by math, this textbook will go a long way toward easing your fears, and if you're a lover of math, you'll learn a lot about Statistics and be highly entertained along the way.
Although an introductory calculus class was a prerequisite for the course I took using this text, the only time integrals and complicated formulas showed up was in footnotes or the occasional homework problem. In general, the book aims to teach through real world examples and applications, not through pages of potentially intimidating to-be-memorized equations and formulas. As a result, the "math" parts of the book (you can't really do Statistics without math) are hidden, so that you are often using "math" without realizing it.
I especially liked the book's listing of instructions, for a variety of Statistics software packages, about how to do on the computer whatever you'd just learnt in a chapter. There are some "do by hand" problems, but just as many "use the computer" problems--helpful, given that any time most of us will be using Statistics again will be for a job or for research and will involve computer software.
There are all sorts of random facts that break up the practically inevitable "ugh" feeling of reading a textbook. In addition, the writing is very clear and informal, without lots of technical jargon (what little there is is clearly explained first--no wondering in Chapter 15 what that darned "r," which you've been seeing since Chapter 6, means). When reading, I always felt the authors were talking to me through the page, which made reading go faster and more pleasantly. (The short chapters help, too.)
I also found the "What can go wrong?" sections at the end of each chapter useful, especially when we got to interpreting data: several times, I would try to do a homework problem, then go back to the chapter and realize I'd made a beginner's mistake and done exactly what I wasn't supposed to do. The authors know what first-time Statistics students are thinking, and they do a good job of steering you along the right course. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

The best math book for economists!
The book does not merely provide a sequence of theorems, but helps to develops mathematical intuition which is really critical for economists. I don't have any hesitation to strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the essential mathematics for economics. One of the best economics books I've ever read!

The best mathematics for economists book ever written
The text is a phenomenon. A book written not only for economists, but also for applied mathemeticians, finance professionals, and others interested in applying mathematics to economics and business problems. It provides solid math fundamentals to students of economics and finance and can easily rival any advanced calculus, linear algebra, or optimization text. Unlike lecture notes, its approach is complete and balanced. It's a text with character, flow, and content. I've read it several times.

Mathematics for Economists
Where is the Comparitve Statics section? Dynamic Analysis? Difference equations? Calculus of Variations? Optimal Control? Etc.

Excellent but incomplete
Excellent description on mathematics needed in economic analysis especially in advanced level. But it do not include some topics such as dynamic optimization, integraion.

The "must" item for all Econ. students.
I recommend this book to all Econ. students. It helps me apply the theories I have learned, also, it enhances my ability on problem solving. Straight forward explainations and practical exercises. ... Read more

Book Description

This market-leading introduction to probability features ex