An Accidental Statistician: The Life and Memories of George E. P. Box

by George E.P. Box

Celebrating the life of an admired pioneer in statistics In this captivating and inspiring memoir, world-renowned statistician George E. P. Box offers a firsthand account of his life and statistical work. Writing in an engaging, charming style, Dr. Box reveals the unlikely events that led him to a career in statistics, beginning with his job as a chemist conducting experiments for the British army during World War II. At this turning point in his life and career, Dr. Box taught himself the statistical methods necessary to analyze his own findings when there were no statisticians available to check his work. Throughout his autobiography, Dr. Box expertly weaves a personal and professional narrative to illustrate the effects his work had on his life and vice-versa. Interwoven between his research with time series analysis, experimental design, and the quality movement, Dr. Box recounts coming to the United States, his family life, and stories of the people who mean the most to him. This fascinating account balances the influence of both personal and professional relationships to demonstrate the extraordinary life of one of the greatest and most influential statisticians of our time. An Accidental Statistician also Two forewords written by Dr. Box's former colleagues and closest confidants- Personal insights from more than a dozen statisticians on how Dr. Box has influenced and continues to touch their careers and lives- Numerous, previously unpublished photos from the author's personal collection An Accidental Statistician is a compelling read for statisticians in education or industry, mathematicians, engineers, and anyone interested in the life story of an influential intellectual who altered the world of modern statistics.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Science

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Tong Fatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting journey of education and subsequent career, starting in England and ending in the US. The book is full of humour and wit, just like the man, with statistics taking a back seat. It shows that a mathematician (or statistician in particular) need not necessarily always have to be an ivory tower egghead!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Box was one of the great statisticians of our time, but to me he was just one of my fathers best friends. My memories of him include clever games, hilarious skits, and silly songs. This to say, I might be biased in my review: I loved this insight into George’s mind, career and life, but I especially loved the chapter about my dad 😉.

[Debayan Koley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun ride it has been! I'm truly moved by the experiences and insights of the author, and what a colorful life he had! It made me fall in love with statistical thinking in a new way. His writing and way of expressing is also intriguing, makes you stick to the book to the end. Though I'll admit, some chapters might bore you a little, because there are some long and detailed descriptions of events which you might find a little monotonous. But after all, it's an autobiography.

George E.P. Box cheerfully unravelled his journey and experiences, with a fair amount of technical discussions, covered with appreciable sense of humor. His memorable encounters of world war II era made the book more engaging and interesting. And how he was destined to choose the path to became a statistician while working for the army is truly a fascinating tale. He emphasized on communicating with non-statisticians in order to gain new perspective on scientific problems. He proved that you need not be a flabby person if you are a man of science.

As a statistics student, I must say he surely made an impact on me. Throughout the book, he implied that, statistics is more than sophisticated mathematics, which is a common misunderstanding till now. It is not just theoretical approach, rather it should always be considered from a practical perspective. Infact, Statistics can be viewed as a catalyst to new scientific problems. His take on learning methods, how students should be encouraged more to engage in thinking by themselves, rather than getting soaked by the systematic 'knowledge', really shows how good a teacher he was.

This book is beyond criticism for me, because this is a journey of a man who transformed the world of statistical learning and industrial field. He contributed in various topics, with his natural talent for finding a simple yet effective solution.

This book inspires the thirst for knowledge that lies within the reader, along with the joy of living such a wonderful and contented life.

[Aaron Gadsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a good autobiography, some parts were a little dry regarding some friendships and families, but the story of how he developed as a scientist statistician and educator were fantastic

[Ellen McGrory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful read. Really enjoyed this 👌

[Willis · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are not a statistician then you most likely will not like this book. Box is famous in the statistical world and this book was interesting to me because I've heard a lot about him. I was expecting more about some of his statistical philosophy and such but it was more of a travelogue and him talking about all of his friends that he has made over the years. I do know some of the people that he talks about in his book, although I never got a chance to meet him personally.

[Willo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting and amusing in parts. I particularly enjoyed the story of how Box developed as a scientist and statistician. However there was a lot of stuff that could have been left out. The number of typos is unforgiveable in a book like this from a well regarded publisher.