The 10 Best Statistics Textbooks
This wiki has been updated 26 times since it was first published in May of 2017. As information proliferates and parsing "big data" becomes an increasingly important part of our business and personal lives, knowing a little about number analysis and collection is more useful than ever. Students of the subject would do well to invest in one of these statistics textbooks, which present their material clearly and are available in editions suitable for all levels of study. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Statistics 11th Edition
2. The Art of Statistics
3. An Introduction to Statistical Learning: with Applications in R
Editor's Notes
August 31, 2020:
Not too much has changed in this category since our last update, but we decided to prune our list a bit in order to bring on a few new relevant selections. We also updated Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics to its newest seventh edition. We said goodbye to Statistics For Dummies, which can sometimes manage to be confusing while simultaneously not going deep enough into the concepts. It's supposed to track with most first-semester intro courses, however, many students find they still need another textbook.
We still wanted to have something on deck to cater to laypeople, though, and so brought on The Art of Statistics. Written with enthusiasm by an expert, this volume takes extremely relatable and interesting real-life scenarios and shows readers how statistics affect them. It's also meant to empower the everyday person to know when they are being confronted with biased data that lacks context, a skill anyone in the information age should welcome. It's a good supplement to get you thinking outside the box for class and is ideal for anyone toying with entering this field.
We also removed Statistics for Management and Economics, which is still a solid text, however, isn't as compelling as Statistics for Business & Economics, which covers many of the same bases. With the new vacancy, we added another beginner-friendly tome with Elementary Statistics. This one was written to be flexible and accessible to readers of all backgrounds, and strives to incorporate as many recent developments as possible. It's geared toward students of any major, so it would be just as relevant supplementing an economics textbook as it would a psychology one.
March 05, 2019:
Statistics has long been a subject many people struggle with. Luckily, there are a lot of great textbooks out there that can make learning about it just a little bit easier. If you feel like you have a slight aversion to the concepts and methodologies statistics makes use of or feel like there is a wall around your brain preventing you from understanding them, you would do well with a book that explains them in simple terms, such as Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics, Statistics: The Art and Science of Learning from Data, Statistics: The Exploration & Analysis of Data, or Statistics For Dummies. Students looking for a tome to accompany their main textbook or help them delve further into concepts they are learning in their coursework should consider Statistics 11th Edition and "Statistics" by McClave and Sincich. Professionals who need to brush up on statistical methodology to help them make informed business decisions based on large data sets will find An Introduction to Statistical Learning: with Applications in R, Statistics for Business & Economics, and Statistics for Management and Economics very helpful. If you plan on entering into engineering or a science-based profession, Statistics for Engineers and Scientists is your best option.
Special Honors
The American Statistical Association The ASA is the world's largest community of statisticians and works to promote, develop, and advocate for the science via meetings, education, membership services, publications, and more. Those interested in breaking into this field can use this resource to connect with like-minded peers, obtain career advice, keep up with current news, and stay abreast of the latest developments. amstat.org
Khan Academy Statistics If you're intrigued by this discipline but not sure where to start, it might be a good idea to take a class with Khan Academy to see if it's the right fit. Khan Academy is an education company that offers free, self-paced, standards-aligned classes on a range of subjects. Choose from courses like Statistics and Probability, AP College Statistics, High School Statistics, and more. khanacademy.org
4. Statistics for People Who (Think They) Hate Statistics
5. "Statistics" by McClave and Sincich
6. Statistics for Business & Economics
7. Elementary Statistics
8. Statistics: The Art and Science of Learning from Data
9. Statistics: The Exploration & Analysis of Data
10. Statistics for Engineers and Scientists
Born in Arizona, Gia is a writer and autodidact who fled the heat of the desert for California, where she enjoys drinking beer, overanalyzing the minutiae of life, and channeling Rick Steves. After arriving in Los Angeles a decade ago, she quickly nabbed a copywriting job at a major clothing company and derived years of editing and proofreading experience from her tenure there, all while sharpening her skills further with myriad freelance projects. In her spare time, she teaches herself French and Italian, has earned an ESL teaching certificate, traveled extensively throughout Europe and the United States, and unashamedly devours television shows and books. The result of these pursuits is expertise in fashion, travel, beauty, literature, textbooks, and pop culture, in addition to whatever obsession consumes her next.