Introductory Statistics

This book helped me with my homework. It has all of the answers to the odd homework problems that are given from Introductory Statistics by Prem S. Mann sixth edition. This book includes the step by step way to solve the problems to each odd question. It helps when you have no idea how to work a problem, and you do not have anyone to ask for help. This book was passed around my statistics class. People were so addicted to it that I stopped bringing it to class. It will really help you if you use it as a reference for when you are stuck, not for copying every homework assignment. The college actually banned it from the bookstore.

I used this book as a primary source for my MBA course in statistics and found the book easy to comprehend and well written. In my opition, the book targets a reader who can devote time required to move from section to section to uncover the facinating coverage of the non-trivial subject of statistics and to work on examples. I highly recommend the book to those who want to grain strong comprehension of the basic statistics.

This text provides a thorough introduction to the use of mathematical statistics. Carefully reading the text and solving a reasonable number of the problems will provide one with the capability to apply statistical techniques to analyze data and draw conclusions in real applications. The book is strong on examples but light on theory. Particulary noteworhty is the inclusion of several topics (such as Monte Carlo methods and Bayesian decision theory) that typically are not covered in an introductory presentation. Also useful are the end of chapter "Final Challenges" that require the reader to have mastered the material. If one's objective is to apply statistics to draw appropriate inferences and make decisions, this text will provide the reader with the required tools.

As a teacher of basic statistics, I am always trolling for the best book to use. However, there is a repetitive sameness to many of them. Therefore, when I encounter a new issue, it is often more an act of duty than one of interest when I examine it. Fortunately, I found this one to be impressive. The exposition is clear and there are many examples worked out in complete detail. A large set of problems is given at the end of each section and a more detailed set at the end of the chapters. These problem sets include a self-review test, mini-projects and a set of problems to be solved via a TI-83 programmable calculator or a computer using Excel or Minitab. The characteristic that stands out on first examination are the number of pictures and diagrams used. Students at this level need quality diagrams, as their visual sense is generally far superior to their ability to perform mathematical abstractions. I am always puzzled when I open an introductory statistics book and do not see a large number of diagrams. The coverage is normal, so in that area, there is nothing to differentiate this book from any other in the field. Sometime within the next two months I will have to make a decision regarding which book to use in statistics next academic year. While that decision is not yet final, this book is certainly on my short list from which the choice will be made.

As the title says, I teach statistics using this text and I was surprised to see one very negative review of it. I did not choose the book (my graduate department did) but it is much more "user-friendly" than most, especially for the student who is new to statistics. It does not try to impress with arcane formulas and does not try to cover every data analysis contingency (e.g., situations you will run across once or twice in your career). It comes with tons of problems and answers and solutions for each. I'm glad that we made the switch.