Grokking Statistics

Master probability, distributions, and hypothesis testing--and actually enjoy it! Author Thomas Nield delivers explanations, clever graphics, and everyday examples that make statistics approachable, memorable, and fun. Everything you need to know about statistics—skillfully illustrated and carefully explained.

In the real world, most decisions involve uncertainty. Statistical analysis reduces uncertainty by interpreting data, from setting product demand forecasts to predicting customer behaviors. With this book, you’ll build a strong foundation in statistical analysis by working through engaging mini projects that put each skill you learn into practice immediately.

In Grokking Statistics you will discover:

 • Understanding the shape of data with probability distributions
 • Connect samples and populations with the central limit theorem
 • Confidence intervals and hypothesis testing
 • Machine learning basics including linear and logistic regression
 • Spot fallacies, p-hacking, and incentive traps

About the book

Grokking Statistics takes you on a journey beyond mathematics into the fascinating world of probability, prediction, and “what-if” reasoning. You’ll learn the basics of statistics from the ground up as you explore tornado data from NOAA, model the perfect cup of coffee, and accurately test whether a potato chip bag is the size it claims. Written to be practical at every step, this book also takes on ethics and real-world pitfalls, so you can apply statistics responsibly. You’ll also learn how to express statistics in straightforward Python code.

About the reader

No prior knowledge of statistics needed. Examples use Python.

About the author

Thomas Nield is an instructor at University of Southern California and the founder of Nield Consulting Group and Yawman Flight.