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Introduction to Statistics: An Intuitive Guide for Analyzing Data and Unlocking Discoveries
Build a solid foundation in data analysis. Be confident that you understand what your data are telling you and that you can explain the results to others! I'll help you intuitively understand statistics by using simple language and deemphasizing formulas. This guide starts with an overview of statistics and why it is so important. We proceed to essential statistical skills and knowledge about different types of data, relationships, and distributions. Then we move to using inferential statistics to expand human knowledge, how it fits into the scientific method, and how to design and critique experiments. Jim Frost has extensive experience using statistical analysis in academic research and consulting projects. He’s been performing statistical analysis on-the-job for over 20 years. For 10 of those years, he was a statistical software company helping others make the most out of their data. Jim loves sharing the joy of statistics. In addition to writing books, he has a statistics website and writes a regular column for the American Society of Quality's Statistics Digest .
240 pages, ebook
Published January 1, 2019
27 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 17, 2021
Just plain lousy. Disappointing purchase.
If you understand statistics this is great. If you want an introduction to statistics, look elsewhere.
If you understand statistics this is great. If you want an introduction to statistics, look elsewhere.
May 2, 2023
This is a super high level, but fun introductory guide to statistics. This is the Fisher-Price 'My first statistics' book, and is a great way for the curious to get excited about the topic. The content is incredibly understandable, and it will help build foundations. It is not a stand alone introduction to the topic, but should give you the building blocks for language and concepts.
October 4, 2024
Such a well written (true) introduction to statistics.
The book goes straight into the point, sometimes even too much as it tends to be a bit dry.
First off, this book isn’t about bombarding you with formulas and complicated jargon. Frost is more interested in explaining why statistical methods work. He makes sure you actually understand the logic behind the numbers rather than just memorizing steps. For example, when discussing descriptive statistics, he doesn’t just give you definitions of mean, median, and standard deviation—he explains how these measures give you different insights into your data set and when you should use each one. It’s really about building an intuitive feel for how to analyze data.
The book encompasses the following themes:
Data Visualization: starting off with histograms to more advanced charts
Summary Statistics: central tendency, variability, percentiles, correlation
Statistical Distributions: The book also gives a nice overview of key distributions, like normal distribution, and why they matter when analyzing data. Frost explains how concepts like the central limit theorem are at the heart of many statistical methods, but he doesn’t bog you down with unnecessary complexity.
Probability: Frost takes the time to explain probability in a way that’s easy to grasp. Instead of throwing out formulas right away, he walks through practical examples, like rolling dice or drawing cards, to show how probability works in real-life scenarios. This helps ground your understanding before moving into more abstract concepts.
Confidence Intervals: Another topic that Frost handles well is confidence intervals. Instead of throwing a bunch of equations at you, he starts by explaining what a confidence interval really means in terms of how certain you can be about a range of values. He explains it in an approachable way, which is perfect for beginners who might not have a background in mathematics.
The book goes straight into the point, sometimes even too much as it tends to be a bit dry.
First off, this book isn’t about bombarding you with formulas and complicated jargon. Frost is more interested in explaining why statistical methods work. He makes sure you actually understand the logic behind the numbers rather than just memorizing steps. For example, when discussing descriptive statistics, he doesn’t just give you definitions of mean, median, and standard deviation—he explains how these measures give you different insights into your data set and when you should use each one. It’s really about building an intuitive feel for how to analyze data.
The book encompasses the following themes:
Data Visualization: starting off with histograms to more advanced charts
Summary Statistics: central tendency, variability, percentiles, correlation
Statistical Distributions: The book also gives a nice overview of key distributions, like normal distribution, and why they matter when analyzing data. Frost explains how concepts like the central limit theorem are at the heart of many statistical methods, but he doesn’t bog you down with unnecessary complexity.
Probability: Frost takes the time to explain probability in a way that’s easy to grasp. Instead of throwing out formulas right away, he walks through practical examples, like rolling dice or drawing cards, to show how probability works in real-life scenarios. This helps ground your understanding before moving into more abstract concepts.
Confidence Intervals: Another topic that Frost handles well is confidence intervals. Instead of throwing a bunch of equations at you, he starts by explaining what a confidence interval really means in terms of how certain you can be about a range of values. He explains it in an approachable way, which is perfect for beginners who might not have a background in mathematics.
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July 20, 2022Review for Data Analysis guidebook.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews