The Practical Guide to Statistics: Applications with Excel, R, and Calc

This book presents basic statistical concepts, and methods with a particular emphasis on their meaning, and practicality in real life. Many introductory statistics texts do not provide the practical motivations behind the techniques, nor the reasons why the techniques were formulated the way they are. With the specific approach used in this book, the motive behind the statistical concepts and methods being described is put forward. The main purpose of the methods will be kept before the reader, and used as often as needed to justify each step taken. A particular effort is made towards reconciling statistical logic and common sense, with the objective of gaining insight into the real value of the statistical solution.