Understanding Basic Statistics

As a teacher of basic statistics, I am always on the lookout for a better text. Right now, I use "The Basic Practice of Statistics" by David Moore. Therefore, when I looked at this book, it was being compared to the Moore book as well as to what I want to cover in the class. The coverage of this book is barely adequate for my needs although the order of presentation is well within my desires. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is not covered, which I consider to be a serious omission. The presentation style is appropriate for the level of student that I have in my classes, I would rank it right in the middle of what is acceptable in terms of level of difficulty. The demonstrations are generally clear, although at times a bit too concise. In my opinion it would have been better if there had been more examples worked in a step by step manner. My students need that at least once for each problem type. If you are looking for a book where the exercises are real-world, then this book is just right for you. The problems that appear at the ends of the sections are nearly always based on a plausible scenario that someone could face. While this is good, it would have been better if there were at least a few problems where only the numbers are given. This is a way to get the students started before they have to face the "story problem" complex. I will not be adopting this book for my class. If I were to use it, I would have to provide handouts of specific examples that are less technical than what appears here.

I highly recommend this textbook for the Statistics requirement in nursing programs. The statistical analyses are pertinent to nurses, and makes the information easier for nurses to understand. Very good textbook! (I made an A in this class, and I am a "math-tard.")