MIND ON STATISTICS emphasizes the conceptual development of statistical ideas and seeks to find meaning in data. Authors Jessica Utts and Robert Heckard satisfy students' natural curiosity by actively engaging them with inspiring questions and explaining statistical topics in the context of excellent examples and case studies. MIND ON STATISTICS balances the spirit of statistical literacy with the statistical methodology taught in general introductory statistics courses. The authors 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 students actively ask questions and find the answers for themselves. More than any other text available, MIND ON STATISTICS motivates students to develop their statistical intuition by focusing on analyzing data and interpreting results, rather than on mathematical formulation. A wide range of interesting and real examples provides further motivation for students to learn about statistics. The Enhanced Study Edition moves the homework to the end of each section and provides diagnostic tests at the end of each chapter.
Jessica M. Utts is professor of statistics at University of California, Irvine, known particularly for her statistical evaluations of parapsychological claims. She serves on the executive board of the International Remote Viewing Association (IRVA).
"We also agree that most textbooks on statistics place too much emphasis on NHST (without specifying the situations where NHST is and is not appropriate), and too little emphasis on issues of design (such as sampling) and how the interpretation of outcomes of NHST should be expressed. Mind on Statistics (Utts and Heckard, 2015) is an example of a textbook where key issues in NHST are addressed properly."
Just the right level of detail, with explanation/examples well spaced to hold interest. Never having done anything beyond very basic statistics, this book was easy to work through and stepped through the content with enough depth but without overloading me. Really pleased.
Great book for undergrad level: very well organized with detailed examples, summaries, and applications without overwhelming students. The math could be more rigorous, but felt right for an intro to stats class.