Introduction to Bayesian Statistics - Hardcover

Bolstad, William M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471270202 ISBN 13: 9780471270201

Publisher: Wiley-Interscience, 2004

Synopsis

Traditionally, introductory statistics courses have been taught from a frequentist perspective. The recent upsurge in the use of Bayesian methods in applied statistical analysis highlights the need to expose students early on to the Bayes theorem, its advantages, and its applications. Based on the author’s successful courses, Introduction to Bayesian Statistics introduces statistics from a Bayesian perspective in a way that is understandable to readers with a reasonable mathematics background.

Covering most of the same ground found in a typical statistics book–but from a Bayesian perspective–Introduction to Bayesian Statistics offers thorough, clearly-explained discussions of:

• Scientific data gathering, including the use of random sampling methods and randomized experiments to make inferences on cause-effect relationships
• The rules of probability, including joint, marginal, and conditional probability
• Discrete and continuous random variables
• Bayesian inferences for means and proportions compared with the corresponding frequentist ones
• The simple linear regression model analyzed in a Bayesian manner

To assist in the understanding of Bayesian statistics, this introduction provides readers with exercises (with selected answers); summaries of main points from each chapter; a calculus refresher, and a summary on the use of statistical tables; and R functions and Minitab macros for Bayesian analysis and Monte Carlo simulations (downloadable from the associated Web site)

About this title

About the Author:

WILLIAM M. BOLSTAD, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Statistics at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. He holds degrees from the University of Missouri, Stanford University, and the University of Waikato, New Zealand.

Review:

"I would recommend this book if you are interested in teaching an introductory in Bayesian statistics..."  (The American Statistician, February 2006)

"...a very useful undergraduate text presenting a novel approach to an introductory statistics course." (Biometrics, September 2005)

"I cannot think of a better book for teachers of introductory statistics who want a readable and pedagogically sound text to introduce Bayesian statistics." (Statistics in Medical Research, October 2005)

"...this book fills a gap for teaching elementary Bayesian statistics...it could easily serve as a self-learning text..." (Technometrics, May 2005)

[In a review comparing Bolstad with another book,] "I will keep both of these books on my shelf, but I expect that Bolstad will be the one most borrowed by my colleagues."(significance, December 2004)

"...does an excellent job of presenting Bayesian Statistics as a perfectly reasonable approach to elementary problems of statistics...I must heartily recommend this book..." (STATS: The Magazine for Students of Statistics, Fall 2004)

About this edition

• Publisher: Wiley-Interscience
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0471270202
• ISBN 13: 9780471270201
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 384