Mind on Statistics (with CD-ROM and Internet Companion for Statistics) [Hardcover]

Jessica M. Utts (Author), Robert F. Heckard (Author), Lisa Torri (Illustrator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0534393055 | ISBN-13: 978-0534393052 | Publication Date: May 29, 2003 | Edition: 2nd

Emphasizing the conceptual development of statistical ideas, MIND ON STATISTICS actively engages students and explains topics in the context of excellent examples and case studies. This text balances the spirit of statistical literacy with statistical methodology taught in the introductory statistics course. Jessica Utts and Robert Heckard built the book on two learning premises: (1) New material is much easier to learn and remember if it is related to something interesting or previously known; (2) New material is easier to learn if you actively ask questions and answer them for yourself. More than any other text available, MIND ON STATISTICS motivates students to develop their statistical intuition by focusing on analyzing data and interpreting results as opposed to focusing on mathematical formulation. The new edition of this exciting text, enhanced with new material and features, appeals to a wide array of students and instructors alike.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jessica M. Utts is interested in applying statistics to issues of public interest and in educating students and others to be critical consumers of statistical information. Her research has focused on applications ranging from parapsychology to the impacts of transportation on air quality. In the area of statistics education, Professor Utts is the co-author of MIND ON STATISTICS (2nd Edition, 2004, Duxbury Press). She is also the Editor-in-Chief for CYBERSTATS, a Web-based statistics course currently being used in classrooms across the United States. A recipient of two distinguished teaching awards, she frequently presents lectures and workshops on innovative methods for teaching statistics. She was a member of the College Board's Advanced Placement Statistics Development Committee from 1996-2002, serving as Chair from 1999-2002. Professor Utts has appeared on numerous television programs, including ABC's "20/20," "Nightline," "Larry King Live" and "CNN Morning News," discussing topics ranging from parapsychology to luck and lotteries. She has also served on numerous panels and advisory boards in government and industry. She is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association, the Institute of Mathematical Statistics, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 646 pages
• Publisher: Thomson-Brooks/Cole; 2nd edition (May 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534393055
• ISBN-13: 978-0534393052
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,462,920 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book Really Does Turn on Your Mind, November 30, 2005

By 

Gregory McMahan (Tottori, Japan) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Mind on Statistics (with CD-ROM and Internet Companion for Statistics) (Hardcover)

Mind on Statistics is probably one of the few books on the market which seeks to teach statistical concepts as opposed to the mindless manipulation of mathematical formulae and computation with recipes. Only one other book currently in print: Statistics, Concepts and Controversies by David S. Moore, comes close to it. Both books are very well written, but Mind on Statistics goes one step further; it actually tries to make statistics interesting to learn, and it succeeds.

The key merits of the book are its tips on using Minitab and Excel to perform statistical calculations, and its insistence on thinking and reasoning when using any of the tools of statistics. Chapter One of the book is highly recommended, as it goes into the uses and limitations of statistical tools, especially inference.

The book also presents several fundamental rules to the student, the most important one being the Fundamental Rule for Inference, which essentially asks the critical question- is the sample one has taken appropriate for the question(s) one asks? One can not infer from sample to population if the sample is nothing at all like the population.

For each topic presented in each chapter, the student is encouraged to 'turn on your mind' and apply the lesson learned. Each chapter also contains at least twenty or more example problems which apply the topics presented. An accompanying CD-ROM containing highly useful teaching applets also helps to drive home key concepts. The CD-ROM also contains supplemental problems.

Another good point about the book is that it does not assume that the reader has access to any fancy statistical software, such as JMP, SPSS, SAS or even Minitab, though it does provides tips for Minitab. The authors also realize the ubiquity of MS Office and Excel, and take advantage of this by including Excel tips. This is helpful, as more than a few people are not aware of the statistical capability that is already available in their computers with MS Office Excel (or even MS Works Excel). The book also has sources for further reading on topics presented in each chapter.

The only major drawback to the text is its failure to include a checklist of key questions the intelligent consumer of statistics should ask at the end of each chapter. The only other minor demerit of the text is its failure to present all of the possible reasons for a correlation between two variables in Chapter 5 of the text- Relationships Between Quantitative Variables.

Overall, the book rates high in the usability and comprehension categories, and manages to be a fun read at points. However, the text still requires the student to do some mathematical calculations, but these instances are not too taxing. I liked the book, and have bought one copy for my office and plan to buy one to keep as a lending copy.

In passing, one of the authors, Jessica M. Utts, has written another statistics book in a similar vein titled Seeing Through Statistics. That text also emphasizes the intelligent consumption of statistics in the real world, especially from the newspaper and other media sources, as well as scholarly publications one can find in any good public or university library. However, the main focus of Seeing Through Statistics is on the interpretation of research findings, typically those that make their way to the public at large via the media, while in contrast, Mind on Statistics covers all of the basics behind the generation and calculation of statistics and the uses and limitations of many powerful but important statistical tools and concepts, as well as the interpretation of statistics.

Those looking to learn the fundamentals of statistics are hard pressed to find a better book. The only other book like it pitched at a level suitable for non-science majors is Statistics, Concepts and Controversies by David S. Moore. Science and especially engineering types can also stand to gain much insight from the use of Mind on Statistics to learn the limitations of statistical tools especially.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A textbook not for the traditional teacher., September 14, 2002

By 

Lothar A. Dohse (Asheville, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mind on Statistics (with CD-ROM) (Hardcover)

This book has a case study approach to presenting statistics.
As a teacher I really liked the order in which the chapters are presented. Two innovations I appreciated are the introduction to hypothesis testing using proportions rather than means, and the treatment of qualitative variables.

Some of the innovations, however, may catch the reader off guard. For example, contingency tables together with p-values are discussed in chapter 6, while hypothesis testing is introduced in chapter 11. Another example, ANOVA methods are discussed but the F-table is missing.

This book is also weak in the presentation of basic concepts.
There are few examples worked out, and there are even fewer exercises that ask students to actually do any manipulation or solving. In the probability section I found that the 28th problem of the chapter to be the first that required any serious application of mathematics.

If you are the person who likes problems that require discussion then this is your book, but if you like exercises that require mathematics consider another text.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very basic and easy, June 12, 2005

By 

Dave "K" (San francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mind on Statistics (with CD-ROM and Internet Companion for Statistics) (Hardcover)

I liked the book as it is for a total beginner. Takes you through concepts of Statistics with very good case studies. Highly recommend.