[Peter Westfall]Understanding Advanced Statistical Methods (Chapman & HallCRC Texts in Statistical Science)(pdf){Zzzzz}

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Review

"… useful as a prerequisite for advanced study of statistical analysis, such as regression, experimental design, survival analysis, and categorical data analysis … examples in this book seem very useful and may help expand the view of newcomers to statistics."
—Biometrics, June 2014

"There is a gap between elementary statistics courses and advanced research techniques. This gap is reflected by difficulties in linking statistical theory with its application in the real world. This book is an ideal way to overcome this problem. …
The main advantage of this book is the possibility to achieve advanced research skills. The theory behind data analysis is well explained, using plenty of real examples from social, economic, medical, physical and engineering sciences. The theory and application are well balanced and very well linked. All examples are illustrated in MS Excel.
This book helps to teach students to explore statistics more deeply, avoiding the typical trap of students learning little about the applications of what they are studying and why they are doing it. I think this book will be very useful in the sense that students will be forced to think differently about things, not only about math and statistics, but also about research and the scientific method.
The reviewer enjoyed reading the book and it is worth emphasising its usefulness for teachers, students and researchers."
—Božidar V. Popović, Journal of Applied Statistics, 2014

"The book covers the content of a typical undergraduate math stat text, but with much more thought to application than a typical text. It appears to be close to Rice’s text (Mathematical Statistics and Data Analysis) in spirit and level, but perhaps comes closer to that spirit than Rice’s. It would be worth considering for a course using Rice. I also recommend it as a reference for anyone teaching applied statistics."
—Martha K. Smith, Professor Emerita of Mathematics, University of Texas at Austin

"I work with scientists who are pioneers in their fields and their ignorance of statistical concepts never ceases to amaze me. I believe most of this can be traced to the way we teach statistics to non-statisticians: as a bag of tools rather than a systematic way to think about data collection and analysis. This book is unique in the way it approaches this topic. It does not subscribe to the cookbook template of teaching statistics but focuses instead on understanding the distinction between the observed data and the mechanisms that generated it. This focus allows a better distinction between models, parameters, and estimates and should help pave a way to instill statistical thinking to undergraduate students."
—Mithat Gönen, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

"Understanding Advanced Statistical Methods is an excellent source for the curious student. The book introduces a novel approach to learning statistics by providing comprehensive coverage of concepts in a captivating framework. Students are not only encouraged to understand the intuition and structure behind the concepts, but also motivated to think seriously about the pertinent questions before they ask. Therefore, the book strives to build a solid background in fundamental concepts and to equip students with the necessary skills so that they can expand their toolbox in their future endeavors. The book will no doubt be the standard reference in advanced statistics courses and bring about profound changes in how statistics should be taught."
—Ozzy Akay, Assistant Professor, Texas Tech University

"Don't let the authors' exuberant and iconoclastic style fool you into thinking that this book is not a serious text. It definitely is. The style has a purpose—to romp around the field's sacred cows and show the reader as quickly as possible the real working principles behind how statistical methods are developed and some of the methods’ most important applications. In that sense, the subject of the book truly is theoretical statistics, but both the motivation and the presentation are so thoroughly grounded in practice that many readers will see it as a practical guide. But the authors don’t intend for it to be a statistical cheat sheet: each of their many engaging and illuminating examples points forward to more that could be studied, and invites readers to pursue those studies. This isn’t the last statistics textbook students will ever need, but it should be the first."
—Randy Tobias, Director, Linear Models R&D, SAS Institute Inc.

Product Description
Providing a much-needed bridge between elementary statistics courses and advanced research methods courses, Understanding Advanced Statistical Methods helps students grasp the fundamental assumptions and machinery behind sophisticated statistical topics, such as logistic regression, maximum likelihood, bootstrapping, nonparametrics, and Bayesian methods. The book teaches students how to properly model, think critically, and design their own studies to avoid common errors. It leads them to think differently not only about math and statistics but also about general research and the scientific method. With a focus on statistical models as producers of data, the book enables students to more easily understand the machinery of advanced statistics. It also downplays the "population" interpretation of statistical models and presents Bayesian methods before frequentist ones. Requiring no prior calculus experience, the text employs a "just-in-time" approach that introduces mathematical topics, including calculus, where needed. Formulas throughout the text are used to explain why calculus and probability are essential in statistical modeling. The authors also intuitively explain the theory and logic behind real data analysis, incorporating a range of application examples from the social, economic, biological, medical, physical, and engineering sciences. Enabling your students to answer the why behind statistical methods, this text teaches them how to successfully draw conclusions when the premises are flawed. It empowers them to use advanced statistical methods with confidence and develop their own statistical recipes. Ancillary materials are available on the book’s website.

Publisher: Chapman and Hall/CRC (2 May 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00CLZTC0G

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

A Revolutionary Statistics Book 2 April 2014
By Zhen Cong -
It is really great book! Highly recommended! Everyone who want to study statistic should have one.
Dr. Westfall is amazing!


Great reference material. 20 February 2014
By Michael -
Text book and learning material not the best but as a reference really well explained. Great for scientists who conduct experiments.