An Adventure in Statistics
The Reality Enigma
- Andy Field - University of Sussex, UK
Quantitative/Statistical Research (General)
Shortlisted for the British Psychological Society Book Award 2017
Shortlisted for the British Book Design and Production Awards 2016
Shortlisted for the Association of Learned & Professional Society Publishers Award for Innovation in Publishing 2016
An Adventure in Statistics: The Reality Enigma by best-selling author and award-winning teacher Andy Field offers a better way to learn statistics. It combines rock-solid statistics coverage with compelling visual story-telling to address the conceptual difficulties that students learning statistics for the first time often encounter in introductory courses - guiding students away from rote memorization and toward critical thinking and problem solving. Field masterfully weaves in a unique, action-packed story starring Zach, a character who thinks like a student, processing information, and the challenges of understanding it, in the same way a statistics novice would. Illustrated with stunning graphic novel-style art and featuring Socratic dialogue, the story captivates readers as it introduces them to concepts, eliminating potential statistics anxiety.
The book assumes no previous statistics knowledge nor does it require the use of data analysis software. It covers the material you would expect for an introductory level statistics course that Field’s other books (Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics and Discovering Statistics Using R) only touch on, but with a contemporary twist, laying down strong foundations for understanding classical and Bayesian approaches to data analysis.
In doing so, it provides an unrivalled launch pad to further study, research, and inquisitiveness about the real world, equipping students with the skills to succeed in their chosen degree and which they can go on to apply in the workplace.
The Story and Main Characters
The Reality Revolution
In the City of Elpis, in the year 2100, there has been a reality revolution. Prior to the revolution, Elpis citizens were unable to see their flaws and limitations, believing themselves talented and special. This led to a self-absorbed society in which hard work and the collective good were undervalued and eroded.
To combat this, Professor Milton Grey invented the reality prism, a hat that allowed its wearers to see themselves as they really were - flaws and all. Faced with the truth, Elpis citizens revolted and destroyed and banned all reality prisms.
The Mysterious Disappearance
Zach and Alice are born soon after all the prisms have been destroyed. Zach, a musician who doesn’t understand science, and Alice, a geneticist who is also a whiz at statistics, are in love. One night, after making a world-changing discovery, Alice suddenly disappears, leaving behind a song playing on a loop and a file with her research on it.
Statistics to the Rescue!
Sensing that she might be in danger, Zach follows the clues to find her, as he realizes that the key to discovering why Alice has vanished is in her research. Alas! He must learn statistics and apply what he learns in order to overcome a number of deadly challenges and find the love of his life.
As Zach and his pocket watch, The Head, embark on their quest to find Alice, they meet Professor Milton Grey and Celia, battle zombies, cross a probability bridge, and encounter Jig:Saw, a mysterious corporation that might have something to do with Alice’s disappearance…
Supplements
SAGE edge FREE Online Resources / Companion Website
Designed to enhance each student’s learning experience, SAGE edge features carefully crafted tools and resources that encourage review, practice, and critical thinking to give students the edge they need to master course content. It also gives instructors access to course management solutions that save time and make teaching easier.
SAGE edge for Instructors supports teaching with quality content, featuring:
- Test banks that provide a diverse range of customizable test items, save time, and offer a pedagogically robust way to measure your students’ understanding of the material
- Editable, chapter-specific PowerPoint® slides featuring the tables and figures from the text to offer flexibility when creating multimedia lectures so you can customize to your exact needs
SAGE edge for Students helps students accomplish their coursework goals in an easy-to-use, rich online learning environment that offers:
- Learning objectives to reinforce the most important material covered in each chapter
- eFlashcards to strengthen understanding of key terms and concepts
- Practice quizzes with multiple choice questions to encourage self-guided assessment and exam preparation
- Datasets and R scripts from each chapter with hands-on exercises and problems that allow students to apply their knowledge and work through the Check your Brain problems and end-of-chapter puzzles in the text
- Zach’s Facts from each chapter to promote targeted review of key concepts in an easy-to-access online format
- Answers to end-of-chapter questions to allow students to track their progress
- An online action plan highlighting all the resources available on the website that includes tips and feedback on progress through the course and materials, which allows students to individualize their learning experience
- A bit of distraction in the form of fun quizzes and games that offer an energizing break from all that studying
- Links to study skills resources that appeal to different learning styles
- Author videos and social media content designed to enhance student engagement, including access to author videos on YouTube as well as to regularly updated postings on the author’s Facebook and Twitter channels
A great read for everybody, not just beginners. Exciting and captivating, and inspiring to read on and understand.
This is the best graphic novel based statistics text available.
Very useful work to booster statistics for the MSc module in Business Data Analysis
This book is truly outstanding!!! Perfect read, easy to understand, and above all - really fun!! Andy Shield is a genius and a great novelist as well! This book is even more than I was looking for!!!
This text is indeed an adventure in statistics. Unlike any statistical text I have ever used. By creating a background storyline, Field, makes concepts much easier to grasp. I have not just recommended it to all Postgraduate students who describe themselves as more qualitative in their approach,but also to others who need a review of statistical concepts that will capture their imagination. Highly recommended it.
This book is accessible and easy to read for students in their research training. The storyline and cartoons make difficult concepts easy to grasp.
Another great book from Andy Fields, making statistics understandable by giving context to the examples
Reading about statistics was never this exciting. I'm afraid some of the students will not appreciate it since it deviates too much from the standard textbook style so I wouldn't use it as the main course book. However, I'm definitely going to suggest it as an alternative to those who find the regular statistics textbooks too dry. It's also excellent reading for nerdy cat-lover types such as myself.
An essential read for students undertaking quantitative research for their projects. The book outlines information in an easy accessible manner and students enjoy the layout and format so that they can familiarise themselves with the approach they have chosen. Very comprehensive book.
