Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

It's worth mentioning before I start that I am a mathematician with a particular interest in statistics, so I am familiar with most of the content of the book. I thought it was a very well laid out introduction and overview of statistics, with really interesting real life examples to illustrate throughout (though it would have helped if the graphics were actually present in the ARC). It's certainly not for people with no mathematical background, but for someone with reasonable maths knowledge and an interest in learning more about statistics it is ideal. For me, who has studied statistics, I did learn some new things! The explanations of methods are very good and a couple of things that had never quite made sense to me did suddenly slide into place which is great!

I was frustrated by this book. I was hoping for an accessible, easily digestible guide to statistis and analysis. I felt that it only went some of the way and could have been brilliant. I found that it lacked structure.

That said, I loved the examples that were used throughout and the explanation of the concepts (and a helpful, detailed glossary). I would have preferred this to cover fewer concepts in more detail.

Professor Spiegelhalter has produced a book that plots a careful path in providing an effective background for non-mathematicians. Its particular strength is that it is also likely to stimulate those with more skills or interest in this area to explore further the limitations, strengths and weaknesses of today’s powerful statistical methods to provide answers to the many questions that demand nuanced answers in our increasingly sophisticated and interconnected society. It should appeal to anyone who wonders how much weight to attach to the claims that feature regularly in the media that this or that study clearly demonstrates the benefit of a drug, a diet, a treatment or lifestyle choice etc... Students in many disciplines are also likely to find the book relevant if their area of study involves the analysis of data.

An interesting book which I’ve been picking up and putting down. It provides clear explanations of statistical concepts. Perfect for someone like me who is not an expert but wishes to extend knowledge

The Art of Statistics is a book about the basics of statistics and how to draw information and conclusions from data. Centred around different kinds of questions to be asking and ways of doing statistical analysis, the book looks at famous examples of uses of statistics and considers how people might use data better. From standard deviation to machine learning, it looks at a range of areas in statistics, and also features a glossary at the end going over key terms.

As a complete statistical newcomer (I chose the physics side of maths over statistics for A Level Maths), a fair amount of the book, mostly in the second half, went over my head, despite the fact it is aimed at general readers. This may have been because a lot of the concepts would've benefited from actually doing the kinds of calculations talked about to actually understand the processes going on. A lot of the explanations of flaws in uses of statistics were very interesting, and how the numbers in headlines and quoted parts of studies hold up under scrutiny. The chapter about machine learning was good, but I've read a lot of books about AI and algorithms so it was a very basic introduction.

This is a useful book for people who want to understand statistics but don't have any prior knowledge, though it may take some concerted effort to try and understand some of the concepts and methods described in it.