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Goals of the Eighth Edition
It is greatly rewarding to have now completed the Eighth Edition
of Complete Business Statistics, and I continue
to be grateful for the extraordinary number of faculty and students
that have used and supported the textbook over all these editions.
With each successive edition, I have paid special attention to
changing teaching practices and student needs. And yet, from
the very first edition, this book has followed a very consistent
set of goals, which remain at the core of its philosophy and
mission. They include the following:
Be
applied without sacrificing mathematical rigor or correctness
An
effective business statistics course helps students understand
how to think statistically and provides a statistical tool kit
that they can use for ultimately solving the applications, and
making the business decisions, that they will subsequently encounter
in their careers. In order to provide a focus on business applications,
many books “cut corners” on mathematical rigor and
correctness. Complete Business Statistics does not make
this trade- off; instead, it provides a strong focus on applications
while always maintaining a rigorous, mathematically correct presentation
and explanation. |
Write clearly and concisely
Clarity is found in the quality of the explanation rather than the
quantity of words used. Thus in Complete Business Statistics, the goal has
always been to be both as clear and as concise as possible.
Provide extraordinary problems
Practicing with a large number of interesting and engaging problems
is at the heart of any quantitatively oriented textbook that emphasizes student understanding
and retention as much as it emphasizes the accurate exposition of its
subject. For that reason, having an extraordinary range of practical, challenging problems
related to all
functional areas and types of businesses— problems using
real companies both US-based and
international— has
always been a hallmark of Complete
Business Statistics.
Key Features of the Eighth Edition
Two Types of Practice Problems: As with previous
editions, a diverse set of computational problems is offered with this new edition of Complete
Business Statistics. However, with this Eighth Edition we have also added a wide array
of new, interpretive problems, using summary data, further encouraging students not only
to do statistics but also to think statistically. They are designed to
teach students when and how statistics can be applied in the business environment and how
to interpret and act upon the statistical results, whether calculated by them or (very
often) by someone else. This expansion of their understanding and skills is central
to utilizing the contents of this course in the jobs students will have after graduating.
Expanded Coverage of Covariance: With the Eighth
Edition we have expanded the coverage of covariance, given that this concept is of particular
interest and relevance to finance students.
Real World Cases: These interesting and realistic
end- of- chapter cases provide a more complex alternative to the traditional end- of- chapter problems.
Optional Excel Templates: Included
with the book are a collection of Excel templates, which allow for
easy computation so that students can concentrate on the concepts
behind the numbers, rather than the formulas. Non-platform specific,
the templates can be used regardless of the operating system of
the computer. Designed for those classes in which an instructor
does not want to focus on the mechanics of using Excel, its use
is completely optional and is available separately from the book.
That format allows other instructors that do not use Excel and/or
would prefer that their students practice developing Excel formulas
on their own to do so without having to skip sections of the book
chapters.
Ancillaries
• Instructor Solutions Manual
• Student Solutions Manual
• Testbank with TestGen Test Generating Software
• Data Sets
• Excel Templates
• PowerPoint Slides |
