Statistics With Common Sense

Applying statistical results to real life situations can be difficult or futile if you can't be certain what the results actually mean. This reference guide provides readers with the frequently elusive link between statistical results and practical applications. Students will learn the basic concepts and principles of statistics and probability, without getting bogged down in complicated theories and abstractions.

Many statistics texts rely too heavily on mathematical formulas. Kault restores the emphasis to understanding statistical results and using common sense in decision making. Everyday examples bring the concepts to life. In the entry on hypothesis testing, Kault examines how a statistical result incorrectly overruled the common sense of many doctors. A chapter on random variables shows the chance that students will carry cell phones, and a chapter on categorical measurements uses statistics to determine the efficiency of a new treatment for a serious disease. Each chapter ends with questions that will help students further understand important concepts. Useful on its own and perfect as a means of expanding classroom discussions, this book is ideal for high school students or anyone needing to review the basics of statistics.

This reference guide provides readers with the frequently elusive link between statistical results and practical applications.

VOYA

Bijlefeld's and Zoubaris's book is a straightforward money management text. It includes a strong curriculum guide to help instructors put together a meaningful lesson plan on finance, hopefully to prepare young people better for real-world experiences. The book begins with horror stories of overextended teens who could not handle the ease of credit card spending and a self-test to illustrate how much there is to know about wise money management; these elements bring home the argument that more needs to be offered on the subject in America's school systems. The remainder of the book is comprised of chapters covering the basics of budgeting, investing, saving for and otherwise financing college costs, and becoming an informed consumer. All are comprehensive and readable, with small stories to illustrate real-life situations. The simple yet thorough explanations make the book also suitable for any adult seeking financial advice. Appendixes include extensive lesson plans, addresses of organizations and Web sites for further research, and sample IRS and Financial Aid for Students Application forms, which will become outdated quickly but do support lessons in the text. This book belongs in the classroom or on the professional or nonfiction shelves where a parent or educator might use it for valuable life lessons. [Editor's Note: See a review in the Nonfiction section of Joline Godfrey's 20 $ecrets to Money and Independence: The Dollardiva's Guide to Life, a book written directly for teen girls on the subject of money management.] 2000, Greenwood, 288p, Glossary, Charts, Appendix. Ages adult. Reviewer: Kevin Beach. VOYA, February 2001 (Vol. 23, No.6)

DAVID KAULT is a medical practitioner and Adjunct Lecturer in Mathematics at James Cook University, Queensland, Australia. He has taught a number of introductory statistics courses, both general and applied to such areas as environmental science and medicine.