Essentials of Statistics (5th Edition)

Book Preface

This Fifth Edition was written with several goals:
• To provide an abundance of new and interesting data sets, examples, and exercises.
• To foster personal growth of students through critical thinking, use of technology, collaborative work, and development of communication skills.
• To incorporate the latest and best methods used by professional statisticians.
• To include information personally helpful to students, such as the best job search methods and the importance of avoiding mistakes on résumés.
• To provide the largest and best set of supplements to enhance teaching and learning. GAISE This book reflects recommendations from the American Statistical Association and its Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE).
Those guidelines suggest the following objectives and strategies.
1. Emphasize statistical literacy and develop statistical thinking: Each section exercise set begins with Statistical Literacy and Critical Thinking exercises. Many of the book’s exercises are designed to encourage statistical thinking rather than the blind use of mechanical procedures.
2. Use real data: 92% of the examples and 89% of the exercises use real data.
3. Stress conceptual understanding rather than mere knowledge of procedures: Instead of seeking simple numerical answers, exercises and examples involve conceptual understanding through questions that encourage practical interpretations of results. Also, each chapter includes a Data to Decision project.
4. Foster active learning in the classroom: Each chapter ends with several

Cooperative Group Activities.
5. Use technology for developing conceptual understanding and analyzing data: Computer software displays are included throughout the book. Special Using Technology subsections include instruction for using the software. Each chapter includes a Technology Project. When there are discrepancies between answers based on tables and answers based on technology, Appendix D provides both answers. The CD-ROM included with the book includes instructions for downloading free text-specific software (STATDISK) and data sets formatted for several different technologies, which are also listed in Appendix B.
6. Use assessments to improve and evaluate student learning: Assessment tools include an abundance of section exercises, Chapter Quick Quizzes, Chapter Review Exercises, Cumulative Review Exercises, technology projects, “Data to Decision” projects, and Cooperative Group Activity projects.

Audience/Prerequisites

Essentials of Statistics is written for students majoring in any subject. Algebra is used minimally, but students should have completed at least a high school or college elementary algebra course. In many cases, underlying theory is included, but this book does not require the mathematical rigor more suitable for mathematics majors.