Statistics: A Very Short Introduction, by David J. Hand, New York, Oxford University Press, 2008, xi+144 pp., £7.99 or US$11.95 (paperback), ISBN 0-19-923356-X
According to the author, the aim of this book is to show that “statistics is the most exciting of disciplines”. The author tries to explain, without any mathematical formulae, how statistics can be used and how the results obtained can be understood. The book can be used as a starting point for those who want to understand statistics. It is well presented and the exposition is very clear.
The book is divided into seven chapters, a list of references for further reading and an index. In the first chapter “Surrounded by statistics”, the author introduces the reader to the importance of using statistics. It is pointed out that statistics can be defined in different ways. At the end of the chapter, the author discusses the applications of statistics and provides some real-life examples. The second chapter “Simple descriptions” introduces the reader to some of the basic concepts. The chapter begins with a discussion of the meaning of data. The second half of this chapter is devoted to the simple summary statistics. This is an interesting part and it contains detailed discussions of each summary statistic considered. The third chapter “Collecting good data” deals with collecting data. In this chapter, the author explains the meaning of “bad” data and explains how to recognise them. Then the author continues the discussion of collecting data and presents some strategies of collecting data. The fourth chapter “Probability” is devoted to probability and random variables. The author tries to explain some basic concepts of probability without any formulae. The fifth chapter is “Estimation and inference”. In this chapter, the two main concepts of estimation are discussed. Also, in the same chapter the author tries to give an answer to the question “Which estimate is the best?”. The author finishes the chapter with a brief introduction to hypothesis testing theory and decision theory. In the last two chapters, the author gives an overview of statistical models, methods and computing.
In summary, the reviewer found that this book is very interesting and recommends it to the beginners who want to understand the basic concepts of statistics.