Wednesday, September 2, 2015

New edition!

I am currently working on a new edition of my textbook, which will be the seventh.  It has been pretty successful - it is the market leader in the UK - and by now its structure and content are reasonably settled.  However, I do want to make some changes to the new edition based on the opinions and suggestions of reviewers and on my own experience of teaching and working with statistics.
It would be great if I could hear from you also about both the existing text and about my ideas for changes in the next edition.  What do you like about the book and what do you not like?  Are there parts where you find the explanations difficult to follow?  Is there anything you think is missing?  Do you use the associated web site with quizzes etc?  Please contribute by leaving comments on this post.
Now here's what I plan to change in the next edition:

  • In chapter 1 on descriptive statistics - have some examples of good and bad graphs, and showing how to improve a bad graph into a better one.  
  • Chapter 2 on probability - a more detailed explanation of the principles of probability including the use of Venn diagrams to illustrate those principles, making them more intuitively clear.
  • Chapter 8 on multiple regression - have examples showing how one can graph the regression coefficients, rather than have them listed in a table.  The graphical presentation is easier to comprehend and interpret.
  • Chapter 9 on data collection - update the sources of data to reflect the huge increase in online sources, including issues around so-called 'big data'
  • Generally - add a few more examples related to business and management; currently the text focuses a bit more on Economics. 
I will be following up with posts covering the new material.  You can also comment on these as they go online.

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