Book excerpt: The main difference between this text and many others is that an attempt is made here to present material in a rather relaxed and informal way without omitting important concepts. The text demonstrates the wide range of relevant issues and questions that can be addressed with the help of statistical analysis techniques by presenting over 1,750 realistic problems that arise often in health care, the social and physical sciences, education, business and economics, engineering, and leisure activities. It also convinces your students that statistics is "do-able" by including real data that students have collected and analyzed for class assignments and projects. Additionally, the text utilizes an intuitive, common sense approach (including occasional humorous situation or ridiculous name) to develop concepts whenever possible. "Statistics: A First Course" employs widely available, inexpensive technologies--particularly Minitab and the TI-83 graphing calculator. We also explore the use of the World Wide Web to collect data, providing students with the means to obtain up-to-date information without leaving their desks. In short this book is written to communicate with students rather than to lecture to them, and its intent is to convince readers that the study of statistics can be a lively, interesting, and rewarding experience!