Discovering Statistics Using SPSS
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Get the Statistics Book That's Sweeping the Nation!
Appropriate for All Levels--Undergraduate to Doctorate Programs in Every Discipline! This new edition of Field's bestselling textbook provides students of statistical methods with everything they need to understand, use and report statistics - at every level. Written in Andy Field's vivid and entertaining style, and furnished with playful examples from everyday student life (among other places), the book forms an accessible gateway into the often intimidating world of statistics and a unique opportunity for students to ground their knowledge of statistics through the use of SPSS. The text is fully compliant with the latest release of SPSS (version 13). Key updates in Second Edition: - More coverage with completely new material on non-parametric statistics, loglinear analysis, effect sizes and how to report statistical analysis - Even more student-friendly features, including a glossary of key statistical terms and exercises at the end of chapters for students to work through, with datasets and answers to chapter exercises on the accompanying CD-ROM - A larger and more easy-to-reference format: notation in each section identifies the intended level of study while the new 2-color text design enhances the features in the book and, together with the larger format, provides extra clarity throughout - A companion website is available at www.sagepub.co.uk/field, containing resources for both students and instructors: a testbank of MCQs for students to test their own knowledge; online glossary in flash card format; multiple choice questions and answers to use for class assessment available on restricted access basis to instructors via entry password; and PowerPoint Slides of all formatted artwork in the textbook for instructors to include in their own lecture slides. Andy Field is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at The University of Sussex, U.K. where his success in making statistics accessible was recognized with a teaching award in 2001. "The Second Edition of Andy Field's Discovering Statistics Using SPSS is an excellent book and a valuable addition to the teaching of statistics in the behavioral sciences. The title of the book accurately reflects the approach taken. This is not simply a primer on how to use SPSS, but is a very good statistics text using SPSS as a vehicle for illustrating and expanding on the statistical content of the book. At the same time it also serves as a manual for SPSS, and has taught me things that I had not known about the software. I find this flexible approach to the blending of content and software to be an effective way of teaching the material. It is impossible to review this book without commenting on Andy's particular style. I enjoyed it immensely and think that it would appeal to both students and their instructors. It is refreshing to see someone who doesn't take himself too seriously." -- David C Howell, Professor Emeritus, University of Vermont |
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| 08-14-08 | 5 | 1\1 |
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This should be the first book you buy if you need help with stats and SPSS. When I first began doing empirical research I knew almost nothing about statistics or SPSS, and had to learn virtually everything I needed to know about complex multivariate tests on my own. I had suffered through many of the relevant, canonical books before I happened upon Field. It was a V-8 moment. Not only does the book explain everything in engaging, easy to understand, often hilarious terms (a favorite example is the caption of the photo of statistician Bonferroni: "Carlo Bonferroni before the celebrity of his correction lead to drink, drugs and statistics groupies"), but again and again it answered questions I had that other sources didn't address in a practical way. One example out of many is how to calculate and interpret effect sizes, which SPSS doesn't calculate for all multivariate tests, or calculates using a measure that has been widely criticized. Field describes the rationale behind several measures of effect size as well as formulas for calculating them, including clear indicators of where to find the data in SPSS output.
Other reviewers have commented that this book is light on theory. I don't know enough about statistical theory to know if this is a valid criticism. But, I do think the book provides ample and detailed "whys" behind the "hows" that I haven't found elsewhere and that were necessary to help me justify the tests I run and how I interpret them. The level of detail and abstraction, in my opinion, is completely appropriate for most researchers and students. (Review Data Last Updated: 2008-12-04 06:54:04 EST)
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| 08-04-08 | 5 | (NA) |
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This book was an enormous help to me in writing my doctoral dissertation. Now, I am a Communications scholar and I did a content analysis, so I didn't need to master a lot of highly advanced techniques. But nor had I taken courses that taught statistics in any depth. I was feeling quite at sea on some things. And for a dissertation, you really have to understand things, so you can defend it at the end. Although I had other statistics books and they certainly were helpful, this one that walked me through the tests I had been doing and -- quite simply, with patience and good humor -- helped me to understand why they were necessary and basically how they worked. I liked the fact I could read much or as little detail as I could absorb at the time -- there are quick summaries, clearly marked, or longer, quite simple explanations for those in a hurry, as well as in-depth explanations for things you really need to know thoroughly. It was having those choices that made this book incredibly helpful.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-08-15 02:57:59 EST)
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| 08-01-08 | 5 | (NA) |
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This book is perfect!! Very informative, the layout is systematically and on top of it all; statistics becomes fun. It is a pleasure to read this book!!
Thanks to Andy Field which made my life as a PhD easier!!:O) (Review Data Last Updated: 2008-08-05 08:02:33 EST)
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| 06-17-08 | 5 | (NA) |
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Useful and entertaining stats books are hard to come by but this one has hit the mark! Comprehensive and clear explanations of statistical theory are provided as well as of SPSS output. Love the examples and icons. Who would have thought a stats text could make me laugh out loud?!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-08-02 07:05:13 EST)
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| 06-16-08 | 5 | (NA) |
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dr. field has done an excellent job of making stats understandable and spss user friendly. as a social psychology grad student, i enjoy the ease of use found with the index. if i forget the differences in rotation methods for factor analysis, i can quickly find clear explanations in the book. i suggest to all grad students and advanced undergrads using spss to get a copy of this text!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-08-02 07:05:13 EST)
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| 05-13-08 | 4 | 1\1 |
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This book contains very comprehensive explanations and descriptions with practical examples which are sometimes not so familiar with me (I'm a physician.). overall, this is an excellent book and I regret not being able to meet such a book in a way more focussing on medical fields. But this has a critical shortcoming in book-binding. you should not read this book so many times to keep the original shape. that's a reason why I gave 4 stars.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-06-16 02:45:43 EST)
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| 04-26-08 | 5 | 1\1 |
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I love this book. It covers everything from the most basic t-tests and ANOVAs to factor analysis. It tells you the basics of what the test is meant to do, what sort of data is appropriate for it and it tells you how to actually run and read the test in SPSS.
It isn't the best book for someone who wants a detailed explaination of how to calculate a statistical test by hand and it doesn't give extensive detail on the assummptions required for each test. Nonetheless, it's a great quick reference book, particularly if you've already had a statistics course and you just need a refresher. Graduate students will find it useful. (Review Data Last Updated: 2008-05-20 03:18:59 EST)
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| 03-29-08 | 5 | (NA) |
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When I study my MBA classes, this book helps me a lot. The book provides essential review of all Statistic knowledge in the beginning of each chaper, and then lead readers use SPSS step by step.
Especially the practical examples and funny illustration, I will say the book is the only one interesting and powerful Statistic book I can find. I highly recommand it for readers work for Marketing, Medical , Engineering , Finance, and MBA classes. The book can lead you to resolve many "real" problems. (Review Data Last Updated: 2008-04-27 02:42:09 EST)
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| 03-27-08 | 5 | (NA) |
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The book is excellent in all ways: easy to read, fun to read, easy to understand.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-03-30 10:19:57 EST)
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| 03-03-08 | 5 | (NA) |
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No one likes statistics.... well some do, but it's a necessary evil of the program I'm in. As much as I dislike stats, this book made the computer portion of it much easier to understand and left me feeling better about my abilities in the subject.The Power of Inner Guidance: Seven Steps to Tune In and Turn On
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-03-28 19:46:40 EST)
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| 12-19-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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If you have an introductory SPSS based class, this is a must buy. I had a Marketing Research class this past semester and the book that came with the class was difficult to understand. This book saved my grade. It explains statistics and SPSS in very basic terminology - so that even someone as naive as me could understand it.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-03-03 22:46:37 EST)
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| 09-30-07 | 5 | 1\1 |
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I could not have lived through my dissertation without this book. It finally helped me to conceptually understand statistics.
Also,(many of) his jokes are belly-busting funny. I used one humorous musing in my oral defense about Fisher's alpha levels:"I wonder how different my career would be if Fisher had woken up that day in 90% type of mood." (Review Data Last Updated: 2008-02-14 03:25:55 EST)
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| 08-19-07 | 4 | (NA) |
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Andy's book is an excellent aid in learning statistics. If you want the executive summary (aka cliff notes), Andy provides sections where you can get a quick overview of a specific test. If you want the details, Andy provides those also in his book.
I used his book to help me in my doctoral quest, when I was in my second statistics class as a supplemental text. However, it is of a quality that any person seeking to learn more about stats will come away with knowledge of how stats can help us know more about the world in which we live. (Review Data Last Updated: 2008-02-14 03:25:55 EST)
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| 08-04-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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In my job, I often train others how to use SPSS. This book comes up in conversation a lot. It is outstanding. I have come to the conclusion that if a serious user of SPSS's statistical features is to get only one reference; this is it. Something I have noticed is that when I meet someone that has spent time with the book, the are invariably quite good at SPSS. Even if they may not have mastered all the techniques in this large book, they know their stuff.
The Pallant book SPSS Survival Manual, which I have also reviewed, is designed to help survive a first course (and presumably last) in basic statistics. The Field book, however, could be revisited again and again, each time reaching a deeper understanding. I already know the statistics in this book well, so I can't claim that this book has taught me the basics, but it simultaneously covers all the major topics of interest while keeping it as simple as possible. I wish I had existed earlier in my career. The main advantage to users of SPSS is that all of the examples are SPSS examples. However, make no mistake, this is a serious introduction to statistics, not merely a point and click guide. It is not current with version 15.0, but I don't think this is a major strike against it, given the excellent review of theory. If, however, you really need to keep up on the current features like I do, you will want to consider books in addition this one. Consider one or more of the three Norusis books depending on your level and needs. (Review Data Last Updated: 2008-02-14 03:25:55 EST)
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| 07-15-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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This is one of the best statistics and SPSS guidebooks that I have seen. I believe that it can be very useful for novice to expert. It is both technical and conceptual and can function as a textbook for statistics as well as an operational handbook for navigating through SPSS. Although it is based on SPSS 13.0, I have found it to be quite applicable to the SPSS version 15.0 that I am using. This book is an invaluable source for the completion of my doctoral dissertation and I would highly recommend it for the student or advanced statistician! B. Cliff, PhD Candidate, Western Michigan University
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-02-14 03:25:55 EST)
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| 06-14-07 | 5 | 2\2 |
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I am a 4th year PhD student and wish I had discovered this book earlier. It is far better than any of the graduate level statistics course I have taken, and definitely better than any of the textbooks I have seen. In fact, I have thrown out all my other statistics textbooks - this is the only one I need. Aside from explaining the theory in an easy to understand way, Andy Field provides the practical aspect that no other texts or courses do (or, if they do, they fail to link it to the theory). Field shows you how to use SPSS to implement the theory in an easy, step by step way; he even tells you how to report the results in APA format. Don't waste your money on any other statistics textbooks!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2008-02-14 03:25:55 EST)
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| 05-17-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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This is the best stats book ever. Andy Field makes all of the important concepts understandable to even the most stats phobic among us.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-12-15 02:54:10 EST)
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| 05-13-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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It's best statistic handbook I ever bought. 1. It is writen in good structure; 2. The concept is explained clearly; 3. it is practical. Reader can follow the instruction step by step. 4. the author is really nice guy! You can download his teaching ppt online for free; and you can donate some money to a charity fund if you think materials are useful.
In a word, it is a book deserving to have. You are supportting an author who try to teach statistics in an easier way. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-08-18 13:00:56 EST)
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| 05-13-07 | 5 | 1\1 |
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Andy Field gives simple explanations and humorous examples to make the confusing world of statistics more understandable. Highly recommended for anyone who is required to take statistics.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-08-18 13:00:56 EST)
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| 05-07-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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It was delievered as fast as possible and as new as it described.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-08-18 13:00:56 EST)
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| 02-19-07 | 5 | 1\9 |
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I spent US$ 60.00 in purchasing this book, only to find out that, in order to be able to read it, I had to buy US$ 1,500.00 worth of software. I just threw my sixty dollars to the waste basket. Yo should prevent and alert the buyer!!!
Julio Escobar Feltrin (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-08-18 13:00:56 EST)
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| 01-14-07 | 4 | 2\2 |
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Whoever thought a stats book could be both useful and fun? This book manages to be both. It came highly endorsed by an instructor I trusted but from a fairly serious-minded context. Imagine my surprise at the subtitle ("sex, drugs and rock n roll"). Stats is a necessary evil, given my research position, and does not comes easily to me. People often say to me "but you have a Ph.D." I do, but it's in Anthropology, a field in which you are tacitly taught to distrust numbers and technology. So, having to know stats and use SPSS seemed like torture until I was led to this book. Now I at least have an understandable and friendly guide on my shelf to counteract the dour textbooks I have collected over the years on quantitative methods.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-08-18 13:00:56 EST)
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| 01-13-07 | 4 | 1\1 |
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Whoever thought a stats book could be both useful and fun? This book manages to be both. It came highly endorsed by an instructor I trusted but from a fairly serious-minded context. Imagine my surprise at the subtitle ("sex, drugs and rock n roll"). Stats is a necessary evil, given my research position, and does not comes easily to me. People often say to me "but you have a Ph.D." I do, but it's in Anthropology, a field in which you are tacitly taught to distrust numbers and technology. So, having to know stats and use SPSS seemed like torture until I was led to this book. Now I at least have an understandable and friendly guide on my shelf to counteract the dour textbooks I have collected over the years on quantitative methods.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-04-05 03:53:21 EST)
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| 01-10-07 | 5 | (NA) |
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Clear and concise for the non-mathematically oriented among us. The SPSS screen shots also helped. Thanks Andy.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-04-05 03:53:21 EST)
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| 01-03-07 | 5 | 4\4 |
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this 2nd edition is a major improvement of the authors first effort. it is well written, sprinkled with humor, and fairly comprehensive. it would have been nice if some items such as ROC curves and interrupted time series analysis had been included, but otherwise a very worthy effort indeed. my bias would have been to be a bit more comprehensive and to have lost the equations to save on space. considering that most other stats books are completely besotted with equations and statistical jargon that makes them unreadable, this does deserve 5 stars. in general, most statisticians who write books forget who their audience is .. they are not writing for each other .. they are writing for people in the real world who don't care about the equations .. they need to identify meaningful associations and results. In any case, this book works and i highly recommend it to anyone who is starting to use SPSS. although before they tackle this, i would strongly urge any novice to statistics to take a look at "PDQ Statistics" by Norman and Strier. that book is just spectacular .. short, funny, and unbelievably informative, especially for anyone working in the life sciences.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2007-04-05 03:53:21 EST)
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| 12-21-06 | 5 | 1\1 |
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I've returned to school for work on a doctorate - after being out of academia for over 15 years. Of course (Murphy's Law) my first course is on statistics and using SPSS - a software package for the PC to do your homework on.
The bookstore was only recommending the SPSS software part - and not a "fundamentals" book like this. You can have all the software in the world, but if you don't know how to use it, it's a waste of time. Dr Field - thank you for such an excellent book. It's saving my hide; I'd be lost without it. (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-04-05 03:53:21 EST)
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| 12-02-06 | 5 | 1\1 |
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Andy Field rocks! He has done the seemingly impossible: written a thorough, logical book on statistics that is not only understandable but entertaining. I'm a PhD student and this is one of the best books on my book shelf - I use it constantly. And - I crack up every time I think about 'Mahlanobis thinking of his distances' and 'Kolmogorov wishing he had a Smirnov'.....
If only more scientific and technical writers could write and teach like Andy Field!!! (Review Data Last Updated: 2007-04-05 03:53:21 EST)
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| 11-13-06 | 5 | 1\2 |
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This book was really helpful getting through my grad school intro stats course!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-12-31 03:32:16 EST)
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| 11-09-06 | 5 | 2\2 |
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The title of this book does not reflect its nature; instead of an academic dry exercise book, the reader will find an easy, funny reading (with no lost in substance). Andy Field writes the book just as a good lecturer speaks in a class. He has a simple and special style.
The book helped me a lot in two complicated courses in my M.Sc. in Operations Research and Decisions: "Multi Variate Forecasting and Inference" and "Data Analysis in Marketing". The author presents excellent day-to-day weird examples to explain how to develop statistical analysis in SPSS. He explains meticulously a very wide range of statistical terms and links them to SPSS actions. The content of the book is very organized: to those who want to read it from beginning to end as well as to those who only wish to consult it for specific subjects. The chapters are graded by difficulty degree and importance, and at the end of each chapter you will find a comprehensive review of the most important topics. Very useful and well written book. (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-12-31 03:32:16 EST)
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| 11-03-06 | 5 | (NA) |
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It is a excellent book to guide beginner who may conduct statistics methods and run SPSS. A usefull book to have it.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-12-31 03:32:16 EST)
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| 09-07-06 | 5 | (NA) |
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Statistics books are either too hard or way too basic for non-statisticians.
Statistic-Software books just tell you how to run tests, but they don't help you understand what you are doing. Don't let the book's title fool you: this book is about statistics first. Only after you have the information about what you need to do, it tells about how to do it in SPSS. The explanations are awesome, and the style, although a little too informal at times, makes it easier to read than any other statistics book I've ever read. I just missed a section on random factors for the general linear model. (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-12-31 03:32:16 EST)
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| 08-07-06 | 3 | (NA) |
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I've read the other reviews and I generally agree: This is a well written stats book, especially if you are trying to learn the underlying theories rather than just randomly banging around on a keyboard. However, don't expect this book to be a particularly good choice if you need to do anything much more difficult than a one-way ANOVA. Even though this book is 770+ pages long, Field doesn't address realistic scenarios. For example, even though he devotes about 210 pages to all sorts of ANOVA, there is no mention of repeated measures ANCOVA, which is not that unusual. In some places, he seems to suggest that something is really difficult (e.g., contrasts in repeated measures ANOVA) and then offers only weak examples of what to do about it with no mention of how to report what you've done. In fact, he offers very few examples of how to report results, and in some cases, his running examples are nonsignificant so his reporting examples stop short. All together, this is a good stats theory book with an intro to SPSS, but it's not the kind of book that is going to get you through many real-world analyses. I would recommend this book to undergraduates and graduate students who feel they need some more background, but folks in the field are better off looking elsewhere.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-09-08 03:17:54 EST)
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| 07-11-06 | 5 | 1\1 |
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The author provides clear explanation of various statistic techniques; what each of them means, when to be applied, and how to use them in a very understandable way. This was what I was exactly looking for. Good examples with step by step guide with actual dialog boxes from the SPSS window are also very helpful. I really like it a lot. It was a good priced book considering what it provides. Best stat book I've bought ever! Thank you!!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-09-03 14:20:13 EST)
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| 06-19-06 | 5 | 2\2 |
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Normally I wouldn't take the time to write a book review but this one is so good that I want to share. You can use this book to teach yourself a years worth of statistics. While it includes introductory material suitable for undergrads, this book addresses the complexity that graduate students require to use the procedures with confidence. Additionally, this book skips unnecessary math, is written with accessible language, and has self explanatory references. Write another book Andy, I could use one on SEM!
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-09-03 14:20:13 EST)
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| 05-16-06 | 5 | 2\4 |
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It is very clear.
You can make sure what you are doing. Its coverage is great. Thanks Andy (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-09-03 14:20:13 EST)
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| 05-03-06 | 5 | 7\7 |
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This book is a lifesaver and the bonus is that it's actually enjoyable to read. Unlike most statistics authors, Andy Field seems human AND he can write clearly! I was lost in a graduate school statistics course for most of a year, with one of those professors who can't teach at all and who requires you to read one of those stats textbooks that is just a bunch of numbers on every page (probably written by one of those people who is smart in math but flunked English).
I am hopeless with computers and terrible in math. Our SPSS assignments in my grad course were killing me. I tried hiring a tutor and HE got things wrong. Finally it occurred to me to do a search on Amazon, by customer review, and that's how I found Andy Field's book. Immediately, I read the chapter on the topic for the assignment I was working on. Wow! Crystal clear instructions on each and every step of the analysis. This book tells you exactly what keys to press on your computer and uses pictures from the computer screen to show you exactly what to do. You just read and follow along. And THEN...THEN!...the beauty of it...it shows you pictures of the printout and explains what everything means. I could cry from happiness. Before Fields' book it would take me a couple days of struggling, crying and swearing to finish one simple SPSS assignment. With Fields' book, it took me less than half an hour. AND...drum roll...I got my first A+ in the course. Dear Andy, if you're reading this, could you please please write similar books for more advanced stats topics, and could you write similar books for the SAS program? Now I use Amazon.com searches organized by customer reviews, to look up any and all books I need. With great results (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-09-03 14:20:13 EST)
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| 04-15-06 | 5 | 3\4 |
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I was already familiar with SAS and DataDesk, but I had realized that everyone in my field uses SPSS, so I wanted a good book that I could learn SPSS on my own from. I was also looking for something that served as a good reference book, so that you could look up something very specific and not have to read more than a couple pages to get the answer to your questions. And I find that this book does all of that.
I started out my search for a stats book by going to my university's library. I checked out about 6 books, and this one was by far the best. But since there is only one copy in the library, and I had to recall the book in order to get ahold of it, and since as soon as I got it, it was recalled on me... I decided to buy my own copy. And I am very glad I did, because it truly works as an outstanding reference book. Very important also is that the author has an excellent sense of humor, and, as impossible as it sounds, it is actually a pleasure to read this book. (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-09-03 14:20:13 EST)
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| 03-03-06 | 5 | 2\3 |
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Andy Field's second edition of Discovering Statistics Using SPSS improves on it's predecessor by adding a great deal of new information (e.g. effect sizes), without sacrificing the clever, conversational tone that made the first edition such a pleasure to read (yes, a statistics book can actually make for pleasurable reading). This book is a great teaching aid and also a handy reference. I highly recommend it for students and teachers who are interested in reviewing and expanding their knowledge of statistics.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-15 01:10:20 EST)
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| 02-23-06 | 5 | 1\1 |
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I bought Disovering Statistics Using SPSS out of curiosity to see if the book deserved all the complimentary reviews. I'm pleased to report that the book lives up to its great reputation. Field takes a pretty boring and tedious subject (read: STATISTICS) and turns it into something interesting and exciting. Excellent ... excellent ... excellent.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-15 01:10:20 EST)
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| 01-24-06 | 5 | 1\2 |
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Very nice books - well written.
Strongly recommended for PhD students. Tom Spentzas, MD Memphis, TN (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-15 01:10:20 EST)
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| 01-08-06 | 5 | 0\1 |
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This is an exceptionally good book on modern statistical methods that can be used independently of SPSS. One person (Andy) has finally understood how modern statistics works and told us all.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-15 01:10:20 EST)
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| 12-16-05 | 5 | 2\2 |
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I came across this book when i was desperately searching for a book on statistics and SPSS. I found a number of books in the market,but after going through a few of them, i can frankly say that none of them are written in such a lucid and easily comprehensible way as Andy Field's book. I think this book is really very comprehensive and as well a user friendly manual of SPSS. Besides he has a very good sense of humour which one can find throughout the book which makes it much easier to comprehend the difficult concepts. In one word , my money was very well spent on this book. I shall wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who needs to learn statistical concepts and SPSS. (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-15 01:10:20 EST)
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| 12-06-05 | 5 | 2\2 |
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This book is a must for any graduate student in the behavioral sciences. Field talks about Stats in English...What a concept. Additionally, the examples he has in the book are appropriately challenging (not like the really simple examples in other books that leave you guessing when a real world question is asked). This has to be my favorite book and I have purchase a good number of Statistic books.
This book also has a new feature beyond the 1st edition. He shows you how to WRITE about statistics. I wish I had this book when I was working on my thesis... Again, Must have. (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-15 01:10:20 EST)
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| 10-26-05 | 3 | 5\5 |
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Can I give 3.14 stars? LOL
I will have to say this one, "SPSS Survival Manual" is the winner. I've owned this book and a few others on SPSS and or multivariate data analysis for several years. However, a friend of mine recently called me and asked me how to do a few less ordinary things in SPSS. After spending some time on the phone with him I decided to look back at these books and suggest/give one to my friend. I think the "SPSS Survival Manual" by Julie Pallant is somewhat of an easier read for the graduate student or market researcher who wants to quickly look up a certain how-to topic for SPSS. "Discovering Statistics Using SPSS for Windows" by Andy Field, on the other hand goes into more detail on the statistics behind the techniques in SPSS. This one reads a little more like a text book though and can be a bit dry/technical unless this is your thing. I tested the two by seeing which would do a better job of explaining how to conduct a Factor Analysis (PCA) in SPSS. "Discovering Statistics..." by Andy Field would have lost my friend right away, and by page three or four is listing formulas and quadrant plots. "SPSS Survival Manual" by Pallant on the other hand got into the `how to' part rather quickly with clear to follow examples. If you're like my friend/more into getting it done quickly and correctly without getting bogged down with the academic detail, then definitely purchase the "SPSS Survival Manual". If on the other hand you're not scared of a little extra math/statistics and have the extra time, you may want to think about "Discovering Statistics". However, for the hard core multivariate analytics people, neither of these books will due. I would suggest something like "Multivariate Data Analysis" by Hair, Anderson, Tatham, & Black. This goes a few steps beyond Andy Fields Book. Hope this helps someone. Tom Anderson Anderson Analytics, LLC http://www.andersonanalytics.com (Review Data Last Updated: 2006-06-15 01:10:20 EST)
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| 11-02-04 | 5 | 16\18 |
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I use statistics for a living (I'm an empirical researcher). I've had my Ph.D. for several years now and own all of the usual stuff like the Hair book, the array of SPSS manuals, and the Tabachnik and Fidell book. Of all the books and books I've used,read, and owned this is the singly most user friendly book on the topic. If you use SPSS in your work, I promise that this will be the best forty dollars you can spend. I wish more stats books were written in this tone. The book is actually fun to read, which is the highest compliment that a stats book can get. It is also very accurate. The single downside of this book is that it lacks references to research on which its recommendations are based. This book might be too weak for statisticians but it is just perfect for those who use statistical methods, especially SPSS. Very highly recommended.
(Review Data Last Updated: 2006-01-17 16:02:21 EST)
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