Statistics Book Lists

this list also available to download in PDF format (100K)
including additional review material and criteria

Here is the complete list of books that I've considered.

There is a preponderance of Prentice Hall titles simply because I approached them first and the pile I received was so large I never asked elsewhere for fear that I'd never find anywhere to put them all!

Do tell me about other books you find useful, especially those that address conceptual understanding.

How to Lie with Statistics

Darrell Huff. Penguin Books, London. 1991. (first published as How to Lie with Statistics, Darrell Huff and Irving Geis, Victor Gollancz, 1954) (124 pages)

I've been meaning to get my own copy of this for years and eventually did ready for this tutorial. Well worth it!

The Visual Display of Quantitative Information

E.R. Tufte. Graphics Press, New York. 1983.

The classic book of graphical representation of data. Don't miss the 4,340 lb chicken on page 73.

Envisioning Information

E.R. Tufte. Graphics Press, New York. 1990.

Second book by Tufte. Also well worth reading. Both are a visual delight!

Statistics without Tears

Derek Rowntree. Penguin Books.

Going on third party recommendation here, will try to get hold of a copy soon.

Experiment, Design and Statistics in Psychology

Colin Robson. Pelican Books. 1983. (174 pages)

Describes itself as a 'cook book.. Step-by-step procedures and worked examples for each test. Very useful 'How to select a test' chart near front of book.

Statistics for the Terrified

Gerald Kranzler and Janet Moursund. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1995. (164 pages)

Interesting to note how this book addresses its aims: (i) short chapters (ii) lots of examples (iii) personal language (iv) doesn't attempt to give reasons for formulae. I liked chapter 7 'introduction to inferential statistics' which gives concepts first. There are one or two minor problems (see 'who's afraid of ...' section above). Also interesting to note that the appendix on 'overcoming math anxiety' is mainly about general techniques to deal with debilitating anxiety, but doesn't take the chance to make the solutions specific for mathematics. It seems we all have trouble when too close to our own areas of expertise.

Tables:

Statistical Tables

F.D.J. Dunstan, A.B.J. Nix and J.F. Reynolds. R.N.D Publications, Cardiff. ISBN 0-9506719-0-8. 1979. (67 pages)

Elementary Statistical Tables

Henry R. Neave. Allen & Unwin, London.

General (as opposed to 'statistics for ...') statistics textbook:

Elementary Statistics 2e

Neil Weiss. Addison Wesley, Reading, MA. 1993. (733 pages)

Good double page chapter start spreads including a mini-biography (I love them!) and the introduction of a case study. The case study is revisited at the end of the chapter and 'solved' using the techniques introduced givings a sense of purpose. Chapter ends also good with review of key terms and formulae and exercises, including some using MINITAB. The book has a bit of a programmed learning feel which I've never got on with personally. Great reference card (even better if it referenced text pages). Useful, (but incomplete) procedure index on inside back cover. Example data sets listed in an appendix and used in exercises.

Now the 'statistics for ...' books from Prentice Hall

The Essence of Statistics for Business 2e

Michael C. Fleming and Joseph G. Nellis. Prentice Hall, Hemel Hempstead 1996. (270 pages)

Won hands down in my 'look up regression' test. 'Use of MINITAB' section at end of each chapter. Short punchy (perhaps not so easy?) treatment with plenty of diagrams and examples. 'Key learning point' section at end of each chapter summarising main definitions and equations.

Statistics for the Social Sciences

Victoria L. Mantzopoulos. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1995. (382 pages)

Second in my 'look up regression' test. Separate study guide (I haven't seen it) includes use of SPSS and MYSTAT. Grey boxes for key formulae and definitions. List of hypothesis testing formulae in appendix (not regression!). Dictionary of terms and formulae in appendix (but no reference back into the text!). Ignore the shape of the Chi squared curves in chapter 12 ? the graphic artist obviously didn't know any statistics!

Basic Statistics for the Social and Behavioural Sciences

George M. Diekhoff. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1996. (448 pages)

Despite my tale of woe looking up regression formula, it is quite a nicely laid out book with good use of two colour and lots of good features. Great introduction giving an overview of all the key statistical ideas in the book. Pink boxes for key formulae and definitions. Keypoints highlighted in sidebars. Front and back covers used to list key formulae (no page number reference back into the text, but equation numbers given.) Separate SPSS workbook. Appendix dedicated to explaining use of summation symbol. Worked examples at end of book. Glossary ? but no page references!

A First Course in Business Statistics 6e

James T. McClave and P. George Benson. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1995. (746 pages)

Full data set available separately on floppy. Generic (i.e. program independent) 'Using the Computer' exercises at the end of each chapter (also section 10.8 'Using the Computer for Regression' telling you how to do it in SAS). Many SAS and some SPSS printouts used in text. Floppy disk enclosed with book with ASP the student version of a statistical package ... sounds good? Unfortunately, although there is a getting started ASP tutorial in an appendix there is no other mention in the book. (Very) brief mention of Baysian statistics.

Books for scientists and engineers.

Note that engineers and 'hard' scientists are assumed to have more initial mathematics.

Statistics for the Biosciences

William P. Gardiner. Prentice Hall, Hemel Hempstead 1997. (416 pages)

Subtitled 'data analysis using minitab software', the book does use MINITAB extensively throughout. Appendix of 'statistical formulae' ... you guessed it, no reference back to page numbers in the text!. Every chapter ends '... in the biosciences', or '... for biological experimentation', so you can't forget what book you're reading. Lots on experimental design.

Introductory Statistics for Environmentalists

Paul Moore and John Cobby. Prentice Hall, Hemel Hempstead. 1998. (250 pages)

Useful chapter on 'survey methods', which is not (as one might imagine) about transepts of mud flats, but actually about ideas of different kinds of variable, random sampling etc. Back cover says 'One of the few texts to make reference to MINITAB for Windows and Excel for Windows'. Although it makes more mention of Excel than any other book I looked at (not difficult), you'd better not blink.

Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences 4e

William Mendenhall and Terry Sincich. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1995. (1182 pages)

Second book with ASP floppy (did Prentice Hall get a job lot cheap?) ... this time no mention whatsoever of ASP software in text with exception of 'supplements' list in preface which says the floppy is included. Computer lab section at the end of each chapter giving work-through in SAS and MINITAB. Large data sets listed in appendix and available separately on floppy (why not include this rather than ASP!). Brief mention of Baysian statistics.

Miller and Freund's Probability and Statistics for Engineers 5e

Richard A. Johnson. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1994. (630 pages)

Some MINITAB exercises. Chapter on reliability and testing Special tables for engineering data (e.g. sample size code letters from MIL-STD-105D) Short example of Baysian statistics.

Statistics for Analytical Chemistry 3e

J. C. Miller and J. N. Miller. Ellis Horwood, Chichester. 1994. (233 pages)

Assumes good basic knowledge of probability and maths. Treatment of issues such as outliers in data and propagation of experimental errors during subsequent computation. Lots of specialised issues: control charts, use of regression for calibration. Last chapter includes use of optimisation techniques for finding optimal factors and pattern recognition techniques.

Books I've used myself - heavy mathematics!

Mathematical Statistics 4e

John E. Freund and Ronald E. Walpole Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. 1987. (511 pages)

Mathematical derivations of many common statistics.

Theoretical Statistics

D. R. Cox and D. V. Hinkley. Chapman and Hall, London. 1974. (608 pages)

More fundamental again, doesn't deal with specific tests and statistics, but general principles such as least-squares estimates, Baysian methods etc.