Not even the most brilliant statistician can instantly recall every rule and concept that forms the daily bread of statistical work. For every practitioner and student without a photographic memory, here is an eminently practical, easy-to-use, concise sourcebook that puts a broad range of topics instantly at your fingertips.

Sensibly organized for quick reference, Statistical Rules of Thumb compiles simple rules that are widely applicable, robust, and elegant, and that capture key statistical concepts. Explaining the justification for each rule, this handbook also conveys the various possibilities that statisticians must think of when designing and conducting a study or analyzing its data. It provides a framework for considering such aspects of statistical work as:

• Randomness and statistical models
• Sample size
• Covariation
• Epidemiology
• Environmental studies
• Designing, conducting, and analyzing studies
• Words, tables, and graphs
• Consulting

Handy and reliable, this all-in-one reference should be the trusted companion of every statistician.


Good scientists learn early on not to do everything by the book. Respected statistician Gerald Van Belle has compiled the unpublished wisdom of his profession in the invaluable Statistical Rules of Thumb. Those mathematicians involved in statistical work will applaud its clarity and organization, while other scientists will find their experimental design and analysis vastly improved by its suggestions. Each of the 99 rules has a brief introduction, a simple statement of the rule, illustrations, theoretical underpinnings, and extensions. Topics covered include covariation, design, consultation, epidemiology, and data representation. Van Belle is providing Web support for this ongoing project, so we can expect to see even greater breadth and refinement as it develops. --Rob Lightner