Statistics demystified

PrefaceThis book is for people who want to learn or review the basic concepts anddefinitions in statistics and probability at the high-school level. It can serve asa supplemental text in a classroom, tutored, or home-schooling environment.It should be useful for career changers who need to refresh their knowledge. Irecommend that you start at the beginning of this book and go straightthrough.Many students have a hard time with statistics. This is a preparatory textthat can get you ready for a standard course in statistics. If you’ve hadtrouble with other statistics books because they’re too difficult, or becauseyou find yourself performing calculations without any idea of what you’rereally doing, this book should help you.This book contains numerous practice quiz, test, and exam questions.They resemble the sorts of questions found in standardized tests. There is ashort quiz at the end of every chapter. The quizzes are ‘‘open-book.’’ Youmay (and should) refer to the chapter texts when taking them. When youthink you’re ready, take the quiz, write down your answers, and then giveyour list of answers to a friend. Have the friend tell you your score, but notwhich questions you got wrong. The answers are listed in the back of thebook. Stick with a chapter until you get most of the answers correct.This book is divided into two multi-chapter parts, followed by part tests.Take these tests when you’re done with the respective parts and have takenall the chapter quizzes. The part tests are ‘‘closed-book,’’ but the questionsare easier than those in the quizzes. A satisfactory score is 75% or morecorrect. Again, answers are in the back of the book.There is a final exam at the end of this course. It contains questions drawnuniformly from all the chapters in the book. Take it when you have finishedboth parts, both part tests, and all of the chapter quizzes. A satisfactory scoreis at least 75% correct answers. With the part tests and the final exam, as withthe quizzes, have a friend tell you your score without letting you know which questions you missed. That way, you will not subconsciously memorize theanswers. You can check to see where your knowledge is strong and where it isnot.I recommend that you complete one chapter every couple of weeks. Anhour or two daily ought to be enough time for this. When you’re done withthe course, you can use this book, with its comprehensive index, as a permanentreference.Suggestions for future editions are welcome.

INCREASE YOUR ODDS OF LEARNING STATISTICS

Now anyone with an interest in mastering statistics can do so — without formal training, unlimited time, or a private tutor. In Statistics Demystified, best-selling science and math writer Stan Gibilisco provides an effective, anxiety-soothing, and totally painless way to learn or review statistics fundamentals.

With Statistics Demystified, you master the subject one simple step at a time — at your own speed. This unique self-teaching guide offers problems at the end of each chapter and part to help expose potential weaknesses, and a 100-question "final exam" to reinforce what you learned.

If you want to build or refresh your understanding of statistics, here's a fast and entertaining self-teaching course that's specially designed to reduce anxiety. Get ready to:

* Absorb statistics jargon and notation

* Figure odds in games of chance and other situations using probability principles

* Understand randomness and uncertainty

* Discover the right ways to obtain data and mine it for meaning

* Create and interpret tables and graphs

* Take a "final exam" and grade it yourself!

Statistics Demystified is a great springboard for more- advanced and more-specific statistics courses and subjects. Let it be your direct route to learning or brushing up on this essential topic.

Stan Gibilisco is one of McGraw-Hill's most prolific and popular authors. His clear, reader-friendly writing style makes his electronics books accessible to a wide audience, and his background in mathematics and research makes him an ideal editor for professional handbooks. He is the author of the TAB Encyclopedia of Electronics for Technicians and Hobbyists, Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics, and The Illustrated Dictionary of Electronics. Booklist named his McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Personal Computing a "Best Reference" of 1996.

INCREASE YOUR ODDS OF LEARNING STATISTICS Now anyone with an interest in mastering statistics can do so -- without formal training, unlimited time, or a private tutor. In Statistics Demystified, best-selling science and math writer Stan Gibilisco provides an effective, anxiety-soothing, and totally painless way to learn or review statistics fundamentals. With Statistics Demystified, you master the subject one simple step at a time -- at your own speed. This unique self-teaching guide offers problems at the end of each chapter and part to help expose potential weaknesses, and a 100-question "final exam" to reinforce what you learned. If you want to build or refresh your understanding of statistics, here's a fast and entertaining self-teaching course that's specially designed to reduce anxiety. Get ready to: * Absorb statistics jargon and notation * Figure odds in games of chance and other situations using probability principles * Understand randomness and uncertainty * Discover the right ways to obtain data and mine it for meaning * Create and interpret tables and graphs * Take a "final exam" and grade it yourself! Statistics Demystified is a great springboard for more- advanced and more-specific statistics courses and subjects. Let it be your direct route to learning or brushing up on this essential topic Say goodbye to dry presentations, grueling formulas, and abstract theories that would put Einstein to sleep -- now there's an easier way to master the disciplines you really need to know. McGraw-Hill's Demystified Series teaches complex subjects in a unique, easy-to-absorb manner, and is perfect for users without formal training or unlimited time. They're also the most time-efficient, interestingly written "brush-ups" you can find. Organized as self-teaching guides, they come complete with key points, background information, questions at the end of each chapter, and even final exams. You'll be able to learn more in less time, evaluate your areas of strength and weakness and reinforce your knowledge and confidence. Popular science/hobbyist writer Stan Gibilisco covers every important aspect of basic (algebra-based) statistics, including: notation and jargon, describing, tables, graphs, randomness and uncertainty, probability principles, distributions, obtaining and interpreting data, correlation, causation, and more. This books introduction states that it is a high school level text. Crap to that. I am an older adult with too much time on my hands and this sucks it up for a few weeks. Tough and packed with vocabulary and problems to help understand the whole range of statistical uses and processes. Before I was pretty much limited to Mark Twains comment -"Lies, damn lies, and statistics", now I am seeing the news with a different set of perspectives. I found the book well worth the work and time I have invested in it, and a gentle introduction to a topic that has scared me off in the past. This book is for anyone who has an interest in statistics and wants to learn more about it outside of a formal classroom setting. It can also be used by home-schooled students, tutored students, and those people wishing to change careers. The material is presented in an easy-to-follow way and can be best understood when read from beginning to end Statistics Demystified by Stan Gibilisco [McGraw-Hill Professional, 2004] (Pa...