Customer Reviews

Elementary Statistics (with Students Suite & Video Skillbuider CD-ROMs) (10th Edition)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am regularly examining a large number of books in various areas, looking for the "best textbook." In the areas of basic mathematics up through calculus, there is a generic sameness to nearly all of them. Basic statistics is one of those areas and this book is pretty much in the mold of the others. The coverage, both in content and in order, fits what could be considered the basic statistics template. There are a large number of exercises, and solutions to the odd-numbered ones are included in an appendix.
The pages are of very high quality and there are a large number of diagrams. It is very easy on the eyes and in basic statistics, the higher the number of diagrams the better. The quality of the writing is on the higher end of the spectrum, which is a significant point of positive differentiation. While I have to make the final decision, it is likely that I will use this as the textbook in my statistics class this summer.

Even though this is the TENTH EDITION of this book, it has several inexcuseable typographical errors! For example, on page 85, the equation for the mean has the wrong denominator. On page 88, the equation for the variance has a missing denominator. This is sloppiness of the highest order. I would never recommend this book to anyone and I would be embarassed if I were either of the authors.

I did not like this book. It is called "Elementary" statistics but does not provide elementary(SIMPLE) examples or steps to problems for those students who have never had statistics before. I personally think its a hard read. The definitions provided are fine but the math steps could be simpler. The student suite that came with it did not work in my computer( don't know why). I just wish I would have had a chance to see it Before purchasing. I still love Amazon though!

Thanks.

I bought this book for an online stats class in August of 2011. I paid over $240. I even bought the work book. This book has three qualities that no text book intended for a college course should possess:
First: simple concepts made needlessly complex.
Second: Antiquated software that is more trouble than the content is worth.
Third: resale value...

what could I get for it, you ask?

$4.36 gift card for the trade in??!! People are selling this for $14 used??!! Really??!!
This isn't amazon's fault. My professor chose a book with an inflated value coupled with subpar content. How could the publisher (Thomson Brooks Cole) convince my professor of the books quality and justify a price befitting of a tablet computer that sells for the price of a pad of paper seven months later? I know that's a long sentence, but I'm mad dammit!

College level textbook publishers should be ashamed of themselves.

I got ripped off, and I have no recourse but to vent on amazon reviews. Because if you even navigate to this page, you have to buy the book. Your professor requires it. So my advice is to drop the class and tell the professor you dropped it because they chose to use a book that costs over $200. As students, we have direct access to the people that make this decision for us. Do we just murmur when we swipe our credit cards? Do we react after the fact with snarky reviews on amazon because the resale value isn't worth the hassle of shipping? Or do we stand up to the professors who assign books with no regard to their students who have a large enough financial burden as it is?

I've resorted to the second option to try to motive other to choose option three.
Who's coming with me?

I had to use this book for an on line stats class. Perhaps if I was in the class with the instructor who then could have answered my questions about the book it may have been easier to use. As it was I found it very challenging to use and not as self explanatory as the professor seems to have thought. I was glad to be done with it and the course.

When I first placed my order for the elementary statistics book I had emailedthe company within an hour of the purchase to ask about canceling it or returning it. I received no response. My order was for a new book that also came with a CD. I instead received a clearly used book and nothing else. Very disappointed

My instructor chose this book. However, it is easy to read and seems to move quickly.