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By Sally Caldwell - Statistics Unplugged (4th Revised edition)
In a pleasing and conversational tone, the author uses this brief introductory text to invite the student to join her on a rewarding journey into the often-feared territory of statistics . Rather than emphasizing equations at the expense of understanding, Statistics Unplugged gives students a clear presentation of the material they need to gain a solid grasp of what is involved in the process of statistical reasoning. While avoiding unnecessary jargon, this book uses the process of repetition and cross-referencing chapters to underscore the important concepts. As a result, the student is led, step-by-step, along the path of statistical reasoning.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 19, 2026
I did not enjoy this!!! But it’s been the first time ever that I have done well in a math class so yay!🥲
February 18, 2020
It's statistics. Was it interesting? No. I don't think anyone could make a stats book interesting. Statistics is the dullest topic on the face of the planet, and I can't blame the author for that, though she did try to make the book tolerable. Was the book written in a way that I could easily understand the information and pass my online statistics class even though I am not a math person? Yes. Am I glad it's all over? YES.
February 10, 2015
I really enjoyed working through this book. Not really to the level of a graduate quantitative studies program but was great to do practical examples and understand 'baby' statistics. Wish there was a next level book as well.
January 27, 2019
This book is written in simple language and in a tone that is akin to a teacher speaking directly to the reader. Caldwell repeats information throughout a chapter, and that rehearsal helps the reader remember important aspects of basic statistics. I read the 2nd edition years ago, and I'm currently re-reading the book in its 4th edition, and though it can feel a bit slow for someone who already knows the information, as a teacher myself, I can see all the elements Caldwell incorporated for the book to be a successful teaching tool. I highly recommend this as a statistics textbook or as an added reference book. It is useful for anyone new to stats or wanting an easy-to-read refresher.
April 26, 2018
This is a "statistics for jocks" type of book. It's very "Hey, YOU can do a t-test! Yes you can! So stop looking so glum! Take your number and put it in here!" It's completely memorization-based, and it's just not an adequate level of preparation for what I need people to be able to do.
November 13, 2025
Highly recommended if you want your students to walk away with conceptual knowledge that they can use for a lifetime. Every journalist in America should be required to read this before they write a single article on anything.
April 27, 2020
Well this book did make this subject digestible enough for me to pass my mandatory statistics class so it is good.
March 1, 2023
Great introduction to statistics for behavioral scientists. It achieved its aim of focusing on the logic behind statistical calculations.
November 13, 2024
ustedes dirán, che valen que haces poniendole 4 estrellas a un manual de estadística? pero ustedes no entienden. Sally me salvo la vida. god bless her heart.
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September 14, 2026Book aimed at getting you to really understand statistics rather than just do statistics.
Heavy recommend for social/behavioural science students. Found it to be excellent revision.
Heavy recommend for social/behavioural science students. Found it to be excellent revision.
December 18, 2007
So one might ask, why put a statistics book on your reading list or even bother to review it? This book is awesome! I recommend it to anyone needing an introduction to statistics. It makes learning stats interesting and easily digestible to the non-math oriented individual. I am now fascinated with the subject of stats thanks to this book!
May 8, 2013
The concepts are presented with typical clarity, but Caldwell persistently assumes an unenthusiastic, pessimistic, and impatient reader, the the recurring reminders of this are annoying to the person reading the book out of a desire and determination to learn, and may serve as an excuse for not being more engaging.
July 9, 2016
As much as this textbook attempted to be accessible, it does not fit with a technological world. I appreciate the formulas and can calculate them if needed, but when my entire class (and all of my data as well) runs in Excel, it would be nice to have information on how to calculate within statistical software.
January 26, 2017
A very well written and very basic statistics book (high school - if that) that covers useful material (upto ANOVA, correlation & regression) . I slammed through this book and exercises in no time. But it met my goal to ensure that I really understand the things that I think I understand and develop a deeper intuition.
July 18, 2014
The author did a fairly decent job of explaining statistics to a non-math reader. There were certain times I felt significantly more overwhelmed (I'm looking at you regression analysis), but I now understand conceptually what statistics are supposed to do before we put our own biases in.
December 9, 2015
As far as required statistics textbooks go, it was pretty good.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews











