This Second Edition retains all the charm and conciseness which made the original so tremendously helpful, and even enjoyable to read. I would not hesitate to recommend it to any student struggling to comprehend statistics. The Tao of Statistics' key benefit lies in its ability to overcome the anxiety which numbers provoke for too many beginners, or even for those struggling with more advanced statistical methodologies. The succinct, single-focus chapters compel readers, by asking that they just understand the intent and usefulness of each aspect, and no more. Thus, it maintains focus on the individual components rather than allowing them to become overwhelmed by the whole. One might say the individual trees can be appreciated once fear of the dark forest is allayed. -- Erica Watson-Currie
The Tao of Statistics: A Path to Understanding (With No Math) appears in its second edition to provide a user-friendly guide to statistics that explains what they mean, with a difference - there's no math involved. Most books are loaded with formulas; this is loaded with explanation. The basic concepts are covered with attention to how and why they are applied, offering important keys to understanding. This second edition adds new coverage of 'big data' and its impact and concepts, material contrasting it with 'small data', and discussions on missing data and more. The result is a pick for any interested in more than math formulas. -- The California Bookwatch
'For most people, the concept of statistics begins as a shadowy mathematical nightmare....' The author opens his introduction to the second edition with these words, and undoubtedly many engaged in statistical research would agree. Unfortunately, these persons sometimes find themselves gathering, processing, and interpreting data with a great sense of discomfort as they blindly follow a mathematical procedure without really understanding what the results actually mean. Keller (president, Halcyon Research, Inc.) clearly has this audience in mind. Purists may be startled by a statistics book without numbers, graphs, or formulas, but they should appreciate Keller's brief, insightful discussions designed to clarify each of his fifty topics. Especially helpful are illustrations of how a high school principal, a public health director, or a sociologist might use the concept at hand. In some cases the author even explains why these individuals might not need a particular procedure at all, a refreshingly honest approach that reflects his sense of tao. Of course, statistics without graphs or data is not realistic, but the user of statistics has to have a basic understanding of what is being accomplished and, in that sense, the author has definitely succeeded. -- N. W. Schillow, Lehigh Carbon Community College
