Developed by the founder of Statistics.com, one of the first online e-learning companies in the discipline, and class-tested there for over ten years, this intuitive book provides a brief but essential introduction to statistics for those with little or no prior exposure to basic probability and statistics. Its simulation/resampling approach (drawing numbers or data from a hat) demystifies traditional formulas and demonstrates the fundamental basis for statistical inference. Topics covered include probability, the Normal distribution, hypothesis testing, independence, conditional probability, Bayes Rule, 2-way tables, random sampling, and confidence intervals. Special connections to statistical distance, recommender systems, predictive modeling, and general analytics are systematically woven throughout the text. The aim is to apply statistically valid designs to basic studies, and test hypotheses regarding proportions and means. The goal is real understanding, not cookbook learning. Even the most anxious novice (as well as the expert) will benefit. The book meets all of the Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) for the introductory statistics course, as developed in 2005 by a group of noted educators and with funding from the American Statistical Association. Excel and StatCrunch are the software systems of choice. R subroutines are available on an author-maintained web site. The book is available in print and online"-- |