Title: The beginner's viewpoint
Product review: Frankly, I am aghast that the publisher calls this book accessible and appropriate for beginners. I purchased it as the required text for an introductory biometry class, and it has contributed very little to my understanding of biostatistical analysis. After chapter 7 (at best), it is simply incomprehensible. The mathematical notation requires far more than a high school algebra background, and the wording is extremely terse. Yes, it does offer real-world examples, and yes, it does offer a large range of statistical tables, and I am sure that it is good reference for people who are already working as statisticians and who have advanced degrees in statistics. However, it is misleading to call Zar a good introductory text - it is completely inappropriate for beginners. It is too concise in a situation where more words would be useful. Sokal and Rohlf 2nd ed. is far better; Fowler et al. also proved helpful.
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