In the numbers explosion all around us in our modern-day dealings, the buzzword is "data," as in, "Do you have any data to support your claim?" "The data supported the original hypothesis that..." and "The data bear this out..." But the field of statistics is not just about data. Statistics is the entire process involved in gathering evidence to answer questions about the world, in cases where that evidence happens to be numerical data. Statistics For Dummies is for everyone who wants to sort through and evaluate the incredible amount of statistical information that comes to them on a daily basis. (You know the stuff: charts, graphs, tables, as well as headlines that talk about the results of the latest poll, survey, experiment, or other scientific study.) This book arms you with the ability to decipher and make important decisions about statistical results, being ever aware of the ways in which people can mislead you with statistics. Get the inside scoop on number-crunching nuances, plus insight into how you can...* Determine the odds* Calculate a standard score* Find the margin of error* Recognize the impact of polls* Establish criteria for a good survey* Make informed decisions about experiments This down-to-earth reference is chock-full of real examples from real sources that are relevant to your everyday life, from the latest medical breakthroughs, crime studies, and population trends to surveys on Internet dating, cell phone use, and the worst cars of the millennium. Statistics For Dummies departs from traditional statistics texts, references, supplement books, and study guides in the following ways:* Practical and intuitive explanations of statistical concepts, ideas, techniques, formulas, and calculations* Clear and concise step-by-step procedures that intuitively explain how to work through statistics problems* Upfront and honest answers to your questions like, "What does this really mean?" and "When and how I will ever use this? Chances are, Statistics For Dummies will be your number one resource for discovering how numerical data figures into your corner of the universe. Still having trouble? Then even the odds by charting a course through Statistics Workbook For Dummies, which offers 270+ pages with hundreds of practice problems featuring ample workspace to work out the problems. Each problem includes a step-by-step answer set to identify where you went wrong (or right). By the time you finish reading Statistics For Dummies and working through all the problems, probability won't have a chance against you! AUTHOR BIO: Deborah Rumsey is the Director of the Mathematics and Statistics Learning Center at Ohio State University.