Book excerpt: Introduction to the basic statistical concepts of data description, sampling estimation, inference and association/correlation. For students and professionals who do not have any existing knowledge in the field of statistics. A step-by-step approach takes the readers through the application of these concepts to concrete problems with explanations. For SPSS users, these examples are reworked with a guide to the commands required and an explanation of the output that is generated. Disks with the data necessary to generate the results and replicate the procedures described in the book are included in both Macintosh and PC formats. The author teaches in the School of Social Sciences and Policy at the UNSW. Also available in hardback.