These were not books that I came to through school; they have been on my to-read list for some time.
However, as I approached graduation and realized there would be some data analysis with the final project, it occurred to me that this could be a good time to go over that reading.
It was not that I thought that I was going to be doing anything too complicated with my analysis; I didn't end up having the numbers for that anyway.
However, I did think that maybe reading a lot of diverse material related to statistics might help me think differently about it, and notice different themes.
Going over the books in order, there were three really great ones, and another good one that is only tangentially related but I will mention it, all at the start. They got mentioned in other posts, which are linked at the bottom.
Then it ended on a low note, including me giving up on one.
The order was deliberate in starting and ending with books that were more about the basics, with books more about using statistics in the middle. How the quality went was not planned. I never plan to read irritating books. I just happens sometimes.
Statistics in Plain English by Timothy C. Urdan, (2001)
Part of thinking the last book was terrible was having read this one first. The examples were better, with more clarity and better reminders. I'm not saying that I retained any of the math, but if that were my goal this would have been a reasonable help.
The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized Science in the Twentieth Century by David Salzburg (2001)
Modern statistics is a relatively young pursuit and this book goes over some of the problems that have led to current techniques and formulas. How do you account for all of the different factors in agriculture so that you know which ones matter? How do you establish that something is a real difference and not just chance?
And if you think math is boring, there are some surprisingly colorful characters.
Presimetrics: What the Facts Tell Us About How the Presidents Measure Up on the Issues We Care About by Mike Kimel and Michael E. Kannell, with illustrations by Nigel Holmes (2010)
One of the interesting problems here is that to compare different presidents to each other, there are many different factors that affect their time in office. As the authors go over what measurements they used and how they determined data, I think it is an excellent lesson on allowing for confounding variables.
The Perfect Swarm: The Science of Complexity in Everyday Life by Len Fisher (2009)
This was actually part of a different list on complexity, but I am glad I read it when I did, because some of tracking swarms and the answers that people give and many other things is analyzed statistically. I think the book is better for complexity than for statistics, and when I get those other two read it will come up more, but it still gets an honorable mention here.
Moneyball by Michael Lewis (2003)
I think someone with a better head for statistics could write a really interesting book on this. Instead it was written by someone who seems to love the drama but isn't really that deep, so he picks up points and drops them, but then at one point he calls this group he doesn't like the "ladies auxiliary" sticks with it because sexism is a fun insult, and I can't remember whom he applied it to now, whether it was journalists or office workers. Look, it's the guy who wrote The Blind Side and missed the exploitation.
It was a frustrating book, but at least I finished it, unlike...
Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics, 7th Edition by Neil J. Salkind and Bruce B. Frey (2020)
They start off repeating a lot that they are not condescending, but they kind of are. That seems to mainly be a way of differentiating themselves from the For Dummies series, but while that title might be unfortunate, the books are actually really respectful and helpful.
Isn't it kind of condescending to imply that your students only think they hate statistics? How do you know the hatred isn't real?
I still might have been able to put up with it if I had not recently read Statistics in Plain English. Being so aware of its shortcomings and not really needing to know more, I could not make myself go on.
At some point, I do want to delve more into statistics mathematically. It will probably involve reviewing other math first. I have forgotten a lot of Algebra and Geometry and frankly I was always catching up in Algebra/Trig and lost in Pre-Calculus.
When I feel I am ready to do it, I may revisit Urdan and I will very likely look at Statistics for Dummies, but I know I will not go back to this book!
Related posts:
https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2026/06/personality-differences.html
https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2026/07/better-than-wed-hope.html
https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2026/07/good-governance.html
https://sporkful.blogspot.com/2026/07/tending-to-do-better.html
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