Everybody and their mother wants to learn data science. The field is quite interesting — I have to admit — but comes with a lot of prerequisites. The most important one is statistics — both descriptive and inferential, alongside with the probability theory.
Statistics is covered pretty well by tech universities, so what’s the point of this article? There are 3 main points, my friend. Read this article if:
- It’s been some time since your last exposure to statistics
- You didn’t find it intuitive and well-explained during your studies
- You were intoxicated by the field
If you fall into any of these 3 categories, boy do I have some worthy resources for you. I’ve read a good portion of this book after my bachelor’s degree, and the rest right after enrolling in Data science master’s degree.
I’m glad I did that because it would be a way bumpier road otherwise.
Okay, let’s see what book am I talking about in the next section. Please keep in mind — down below you’ll find an affiliate link to the book. That doesn’t mean anything to you, as the price is identical, but I’ll get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase.
Head First Statistics
This might come as a surprise to you. It’s not a book you can usually see in university courses — mostly because it’s full of visualizations and plain simple explanations. University books, on the other hand, are full of formulas, proofs, and plain old boring text.
Head First Statistics: A Brain-Friendly Guide
Amazon.com: Head First Statistics: A Brain-Friendly Guide (9780596527587): Griffiths, Dawn: Books
When you first see the physical copy of this book you might get anxious a bit — as it has over 700 pages. Now it’s not short by any standards, but it certainly doesn’t feel like a 700-page book. Let me elaborate.
Pick up any statistics and probability book from a university — there is a high chance it is somewhere around 500 pages, if not more. While that is significantly less than Head First Statistics, the university book most likely isn’t full of visual examples and visualizations in general.
If someone took all the visualizations from this Head First Statistics, the total page number would reduce by half, if not more.
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