Business Statistics: A First Course

For one-semester courses in business statistics. This text offers a streamlined presentation of Business Statistics, Third Edition, by Sharpe, De Veaux, and Velleman.

Better Decisions. Better Results.

Business Statistics: A First Course, Third Edition, by Sharpe, De Veaux, and Velleman, narrows the gap between theory and practice–relevant statistical methods empower business students to make effective, data-informed decisions. With their unique blend of teaching, consulting, and entrepreneurial experiences, this dynamic author team brings a modern edge to teaching statistics to business students. Focusing on statistics in the context of real business issues―with an emphasis on analysis and understanding over computation―the text helps students think analytically, prepares them to make better business decisions, and shows them how to effectively communicate results.

KEY TOPICS: EXPLORING AND COLLECTING DATA: Data and Decisions, Displaying and Describing Categorical Data, Displaying and Describing Quantitative Data, Correlation and Linear Regression, MODELING WITH PROBABILITY: Randomness and Probability, Random Variables and Probability Models, The Normal and Other Continuous Distributions, Surveys and Sampling, Sampling Distributions and Confidence Intervals for Proportions, INFERENCE FOR DECISION MAKING: Testing Hypotheses about Proportions, Confidence Intervals and Hypothesis Tests for Means, Comparing Two Means, Inference for Counts: Chi-Square Tests, Inference for Regression, Multiple Regression, SELECTED TOPICS IN DECISION MAKING: Introduction to Data Mining

MARKET: For all readers interested in business statistics.

As a researcher of statistical problems in business and a professor of Statistics at a business school, Norean Radke Sharpe (Ph.D. University of Virginia) understands the challenges and specific needs of the business student. She is currently teaching at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, where she is also Senior Associate Dean and Director of Undergraduate Programs. Prior to joining Georgetown, she taught business statistics and operations research courses to both undergraduate and MBA students for fourteen years at Babson College. Before moving into business education, she taught statistics for several years at Bowdoin College and conducted research at Yale University. Norean is coauthor of the recent text, A Casebook for Business Statistics: Laboratories for Decision Making, and she has authored more than 30 articles–primarily in the areas of statistics education and women in science. Norean currently serves as Associate Editor for the journal Cases in Business, Industry, and Government Statistics. Her research focuses on business forecasting and statistics education. She is also co-founder of DOME Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit foundation that works to increase Diversity and Outreach in Mathematics and Engineering for the greater Boston area. She has been active in increasing the participation of women and underrepresented students in science and mathematics for several years and has two children of her own.

Richard D. De Veaux (Ph.D. Stanford University) is an internationally known educator, consultant, and lecturer. Dick has taught statistics at a business school (Wharton), an engineering school (Princeton), and a liberal arts college (Williams). While at Princeton, he won a Lifetime Award for Dedication and Excellence in Teaching. Since 1994, he has taught at Williams College, although he returned to Princeton for the academic year 2006―2007 as the William R. Kenan Jr. Visiting Professor of Distinguished Teaching. He is currently the C. Carlisle and Margaret Tippit Professor of Statistics at Williams College. Dick holds degrees from Princeton University in Civil Engineering and Mathematics and from Stanford University in Dance Education and Statistics, where he studied with Persi Diaconis. His research focuses on the analysis of large data setsand data mining in science and industry. Dick has won both the Wilcoxon and Shewell awards from the American Society for Quality. He is an elected member of the International Statistics Institute (ISI) and a Fellow of the American Statistical Association (ASA). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the ASA. Dick is well known in industry, having consulted for such Fortune 500 companies as American Express, Hewlett-Packard, Alcoa, DuPont, Pillsbury, General Electric, and Chemical Bank. He was named the “Statistician of the Year” for 2008 by the Boston Chapter of the American Statistical Association for his contributions to teaching, research, and consulting. In his spare time he is an avid cyclist and swimmer. He also is the founder and bass for the doo-wop group, the Diminished Faculty, and is a frequent singer and soloist with various local choirs including the Choeur Vittoria of Paris, France. Dick is the father of four children.

Paul F. Velleman (Ph.D. Princeton University) has an international reputation for innovative statistics education. He designed the Data Desk® software package and is also the author and designer of the award-winning ActivStats® multimedia software, for which he received the EDUCOM Medal for innovative uses of computers in teaching statistics and the ICTCM Award for Innovation in Using Technology in College Mathematics. He is the founder and CEO of Data Description, Inc. (www.datadesk.com), which supports both of these programs. He also developed the Internet site, Data and Story Library (DASL; lib.stat.cmu.edu/DASL/), which provides data sets for teaching Statistics. Paul coauthored (with David Hoaglin) the book ABCs of Exploratory Data Analysis. Paul teaches Statistics at Cornell University in the Department of Statistical Sciences and in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, for which he has been awarded the MacIntyre prize for Exemplary Teaching. His research often focuses on statistical graphics and data analysis methods. Paul is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Paul’s experience as a professor, entrepreneur, and business leader brings a unique perspective to the book.

Richard De Veaux and Paul Velleman have authored successful books in the introductory college and AP High School market with David Bock, including Intro Stats, Fourth Edition (Pearson, 2014), Stats: Modeling the World, Fourth Edition (Pearson, 2015), and Stats: Data and Models, Fourth Edition (Pearson, 2016).