<DIV><P><BR>Statistics is concerned with extracting the best possible information from data in order to aid decision making, and it is often applied to sales forecasting, quality control and marketing research. The role of the statistician is to determine what type of data is needed to answer a specific question, the way that data should be collected and how it should be analyzed in order to get the best answer.</P><p><I>Practical Statistics</I> is a clear and concise introduction to business statistics for graduate business and management students, MBA students and professionals. It gives the reader a solid understanding of statistics without being too simple or mind-numbingly complex. It turns business statistics, often perceived as being difficult and pointless, into something approachable and sensible.</P><p>Statistics professor John Buglear emphasizes the importance of working back from results rather than working out results. He starts the book with basic concepts which get increasingly harder, uses simple metaphors to aid understanding and tables and diagrams throughout.</div>