Statistics for Dummies
A 'For Dummies' Title by Deborah Rumsey, Ph.D.
A review of 'Statistics for Dummies' by Deborah Rumsey, Ph.D.
Statistics for Dummies, like most For Dummies titles, is a book that helps to break down a subject so that it can be more easily understood by the average person. Statistics for Dummies is no exception to this rule, and in it author Deborah Rumsey, Ph.D. attempts to break down and explain a very complicated subject, statistics.
The Good in Statistics for Dummies
Statistics can be a very difficult subject for many students, and can be an even more difficult subject to master outside of a classroom. Statistics for Dummies does exactly what it is supposed to do as it makes the subject seem much more approachable, and by using mainly interesting real life examples, the author Deborah Rumsey is able to take some of the mystery and fear out of the subject. She actually manages to make the subject of statistics seem almost entertaining.
By going through basic subjects like defining what statistics is and does, probability, hypothesis testing, and interpreting data, the author does a good job of covering the elementary statistics. She also makes a point to show readers how statistics can be abused and shows what to look for to determine if statistics being presented are accurate and fairly presented.
The Bad in Statistics for Dummies
Although what is covered in Statistics for Dummies is covered well, it is very much an elementary guide that will not replace a student’s textbook anytime soon. The same author has written a workbook that can be purchased separately which can help a person grasp many elementary statistics subjects, but again there are still many subjects that are not covered that could be. For example distributions such as Poisson and subjects like Bayes theorem are not covered.
The Bottom Line
While Statistics for Dummies will not act as a replacement for a textbook in a statistics class, it does explain many basic statistics subjects in a way that can make the subject more appealing and approachable. It will give the Statistics 101 student a great resource to learn basic subjects and terminology from, and when used in conjunction with a textbook can help to make this subject easier to learn. The writing in this book is fantastic, considering the subject matter and the normal stiff style of writing found in this type of book. Overall a great book, as long as the reader does not expect it to be an end-all source.
Book Information:
Statistics for Dummies
Deborah Rumsey, Ph.D.
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
ISBN : 0-7645-5423-9
For Dummies, 2003
