SPSS for Dummies

SPSS (originally, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) has been around for quite awhile now. But its impact on the social sciences has been great (as other software packages such as SAS). In graduate school, we began with a program designed for Biomedical users. In those days, one had to type commands and statements on Hollerith cards, using a card punch. Take the cards to a window in the computer center, watch someone bring your tape with data on it, install it on a tape drive, and run the program on the data. SPSS was a major step forward, and subsequent versions have become more powerful. Also, more complex. So is is absolutely predictable that SPSS would become the subject for the ". . .for Dummies" series. And this volume does a decent job helping the reader get through SPSS. . . .

I bought this book because I needed to use SPSS and had no experience with the program. I read Chapter 1 and Chapter 4 to start and this gave me a good basis. Then I read other chapters as questions came up. If you are used to using computers and learning how to do new things on the computer, then this book is perfect for you. Do not get this book if you are looking for a book to tell you when to run which statistics. This book tells you HOW, not WHEN or WHY. I supplemented the book with SPSS Help menu and internet sights for more complex actions like regression. Overall, I would recommend this book!

This book is very helpful in becoming acquainted with the rather complex SPSS statistics software program. I recommend the book for others who need assistance in learning how to use this statistical software and need it presented in a practical manner for the lay person.