Biometry: The Principles and Practices of Statistics in Biological Research

by Robert R. Sokal, F. James Rohlf

Sokal and Rohlf's classic text deals with statistics from numerous areas of biological research, focusing on practical applications and incorporates computer calculations.

Genres: Reference, Science, Textbooks, Mathematics, Academic, Biology, Nonfiction

887 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Lloyd Downey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhere over the years I lost my Biometry Textbooks that I'd used at University and although statistics is not something that I normally read for recreation, I did miss the old book because I'd spent so much time becoming familiar with it. (I think it got water damaged whilst travelling between countries). Anyway, I found this in a charity bookshop and it looked like it covered the ground that I would be interested in and was about 10 years more up to date. So it covers all the usual elementary statistics and moves very quickly into analysis of variance: one way, nested, two way and multiway analysis of variance. Then into linear regression, correlation and multiple and curvilinear regression. And then into material that I'm not familiar with: Analysis of frequencies and a collection of miscellaneous methods including something called "the Jackknife".
Spoiler alert: I haven't read the book.....it's not really bedtime reading. But is seems very practical and the authors are clearly involved teachers so they give lots of biological examples. A lot from agricultural research but about half from other sorts of scientific research.
I'm sure that I would benefit from studying it in some detail but suspect that I'm just not going to get around to doing that ....unless I have some relevant data that needs analysing. However, It does seem to be rather out of date. Yes, I was using Fortran IV when I was using statistics ...but these days... don't think anyone uses Fortran. And in 1981 when this version was published, The personal computer revolution had barely commenced. So no discussion at all about using computers in any comprehensive way. (Yes there is a mention of analysis by computer but I suspect it was more or less like I used to do; you enter your data on sheets; plus sub routines ......it's entered by somebody else (an expert) as punched cards and the cards are fed into the computer .......which promptly spits out an error message so you go through the whole routine gain after correcting for the missing bracket.....etc., etc. Ok it's an old fashioned book but still good content. I give it 4 stars.

[Felipe Corcobado Oñate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Libro de estadística muy completo. Lo estudié para utilizar las herramientas estadísticas para analizar los resultados de mi tesis doctoral.

[Joseph]

two graudate students wrote the best and easiest to read introduction to data analysis I've ever read. The new versions are useful, and the computer stuff is outdated in the original(programs are in fortran) but the first edition is the best for any math geek, science nerd or field-lab guy.

[charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

ew.

[Rodrigo Medel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very useful when I was doing my PhD, some years ago. Now, GLM and Bayes models should be also studied to have a minimal background in statistics.

[Sayan Biswas · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice

[Maia Shavlakadze · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think about research.

[Roseanna]

details the basics of complex statistical analysis of biological questions easy to read.

[Yuta Tamberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant!