Statistics: A Very Short Introduction

Statistical analysis underlies much of the modern scientific research. In fact, it is not too much of a stretch to say that many scientific fields have come of age and many other fields have become "scientific" thanks to the extensive use of statistics that they employ. The turning point seems to have been the advent of modern computer. For the first time in history the raw computational power has not been an issue any more, and the only limits on the quality of research became the amount of data that can be collected and the understanding of statistical methods that need to be employed for analysis. This very short introduction deals with statistics as a method for analyzing empirical data. As such, it does not present statistics as a dry and self-contained mathematical subject. All the statistical methods are introduced in conjunction with particular practical problems that those methods are developed to address. The author, David Hand, is trying to convey the message that statistics is as much of an art as it is a rigorous mathematical method. No two research projects are the same, so no simple statistical procedure could be used to describe them all. A careful analysis of the problem at hand and a judicial choice of statistical methods are the most likely to yield the most useful information. The book is divided in seven chapters and each one deals with a particular statistical concept or a particular way in which the statistics is used. The chapters are short but informative, and the whole book makes for one smooth read. It will not overburden you with mathematical detail, and it can be used as a springboard for further reading into the field of statistics.

Worth your time.