8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most effective (and easy) way to learn statistics, July 11, 2005
This review is from: Explaining Psychological Statistics (Hardcover)
For a while, I was looking for a good book on statistics, and finally, I found it! This book is excellent for those who are going to start learning statistics (every thing is explained very well from very beginning!) as well as for those (like me) who look for more advanced books. It is almost perfect! It has precise and clear explanations, simple brief examples, thoughtfully chosen questions and tasks at the end of each chapter, good overall organization. Every word (well, sentence) contributes to understanding of concepts, no unnecessary information, no waste of time. Every new concept is built on the previous ones, no gaps in explanation, no unanswered questions. It feels as if the author follows a reader's mind, if some questions arise they get answered in the next paragraphs. Pure pleasure! Ultimate book on statistics! Highly recommend.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So you want to learn Psych Stats..., January 28, 2010
Look, here's the bottom line: This is the best book for learning psychological statistics.
Perhaps even more importantly, this was one of the very few books I refuse to sell back after taking the class. I have already used this book on multiple occasions in my work, and have even lent it to a friend for reference. What's more, before I could even start to complain about some minor errors - the author created a website with an entire list of all known errors so that you may correct them. That link is here:
[...]
Certainly if a 4th edition comes out they will be corrected. For a future edition, I cannot come up with any improvements except that if it was possible, it would be really helpful to have a page in the appendix (or accompanying certain sections) explaining how to do certain things on the calculator that are appropriate to the text. Perhaps choosing a popular calculator (like the TI-83+) etc.
I also have had the pleasure of meeting, and working with the author, Dr. Barry Cohen. From the combination of reading this book, taking his class on statistics, and meeting with him personally, I have concluded he is one of the top people in the nation in this field. He has on many occasions, pointed out and corrected other highly acclaimed statistiscans in both other statistics textbooks, as well as in the psychology field in general all with a humble attitude.
It's also a book that is possible to read without a class - though I don't really recommend that for any subject.
Overall:
Pros: As clear and thorough enough without getting too complicated for what can seem like an incredibly complex subject. It is about as close to you get as being able to read a textbook like a novel. It is also split into sections A, B and C. So if you are a beginner, you might only work with sections A. If you want the full deal, you can read B and C as well.
Cons: Heavy, Orange cover can reflect light and blind people due to high-gloss finish. It is NOT waterproof and does not make phone calls or play music. It does have some water-resistant properties however.
Note: Please remember that no matter how well written a textbook is, you have to actually READ IT to learn the material. Simply having it around does not transfer the information into your brain like I had previously thought.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book and teacher!, September 22, 2009
After a 4 year hiatus from my undergraduate days studying psychology, taking Masters Statistics was daunting to say the least. I had the pleasure of working with Barry Cohen, the author of this book, and he made the class pleasurable while the book made learning the formulas and applications and theories behind them as painless as stats can be. the chapter reviews and formula summaries at the end of each chapter are particularly helpful. The organization and flow of the book is logical and easy to follow. I highly recommend this book (and Dr. Cohen's Class!)
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