U Can: Statistics For Dummies

Introduction

You get hit with an incredible amount of statistical information on a daily basis. You know what we’re talking about: charts, graphs, tables, and headlines that talk about the results of the latest poll, survey, experiment, or other scientific study. The purpose of this book is to develop and sharpen your skills in sorting through, analyzing, and evaluating all that info, and to do so in a clear, fun, and pain-free way. You also gain the ability to decipher and make important decisions about statistical results (for example, the results of the latest medical studies), while being ever aware of the ways that people can mislead you with statistics. And you see how to do it right when it’s your turn to design the study, collect the data, crunch the numbers, and/or draw the conclusions.

This book is also designed to help those of you who are looking to get a solid foundation in introductory statistics or those taking a statistics class and wanting some backup. You’ll gain a working knowledge of the big ideas of statistics and gather a boatload of tools and tricks of the trade that’ll help you get ahead of the curve, especially for taking exams.

This book is chock-full of real examples from real sources that are relevant to your everyday life — from the latest medical breakthroughs, crime studies, and population trends to the latest U.S. government reports. We even address a survey on the worst cars of the millennium! By reading this book, you’ll understand how to collect, ...