Statistics for Terrified Biologists

by Helmut F. van Emden

“We highly recommend it—not just for statistically terrified biology students and faculty, but also for those who are occasionally anxious or uncertain. In addition to being a good starting point to learn statistics, it is a useful place to return to refresh your memory.” –The Quarterly Review of Biology, March 2009 "During the entire course of my Ph.D. I've been (embarrasingly) looking for a way to teach myself the fundamentals of statistical analysis. At this point in my education, I've come to realize that often times, simply knowing the basics is enough for you to properly apply even the most complex analytical methods. ‘Statistics for Terrified Biologists’ has been just such a book - it was more than worth the $40 I spent on it, and while my 'book clubs' aren't meant to be reviews, I highly recommend the book to anyone who's in a similar predicament to my own." –Carlo Artieri's Blog Book Club The typical biology student is “hardwired” to be wary of any tasks involving the application of mathematics and statistical analyses, but the plain fact is much of biology requires interpretation of experimental data through the use of statistical methods. This unique textbook aims to demystify statistical formulae for the average biology student. Written in a lively and engaging style, Statistics for Terrified Biologists draws on the author’s 30 years of lecturing experience. One of the foremost entomologists of his generation, van Emden has an extensive track record for successfully teaching statistical methods to even the most guarded of biology students. For the first time basic methods are presented using straightforward, jargon-free language. Students are taught to use simple formulae accurately to interpret what is being measured with each test and statistic, while at the same time learning to recognize overall patterns and guiding principles. Complemented by simple illustrations and useful case studies, this is an ideal statistics resource tool for undergraduate biology and environmental science students who lack confidence in their mathematical abilities.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Biology

343 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2008

About the author

Helmut Fritz van Emden

Reviews

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this very useful for learning the mechanics of some common statistical practices (you know, instead of selecting them from dropdown menus or functions). I also appreciated the introduction to various experimental designs for ANOVA, which seems to be assumed as understood in most literature.

I had two problems with the book. First, I wished that the author would not have worked so hard to avoid algebraic notation in favor of text. The text explanations are helpful, but it's a lot easier to follow the math when mathematical language is used (and supplemented with text explanations). Second, there are a disturbing number of typos in this book, and a fair number of them are in the math, not just in the writing (where you can discern the meaning through the typo). It's rather frustrating to find typos in the solutions in the back of the book. The typos get worse as the book goes on, making me think that the editor lost focus as they worked through it. There is apparently a second edition, and I'd recommend paying for it just because some of the typos might be eliminated.

As a good explanation of why basic parametric statistics works the way it does, it was well worth it. That said, I'm not doing any more statistics on a pocket calculator again. It's the 21st century.