Product Description
Getting started with SAS is easy with The Little SAS Book. This friendly, easy-to-read guide gently introduces you to the most commonly used features of SAS software plus a whole lot more! The book has been revised to include concepts of the Output Delivery System; the STYLE= option in the PRINT, REPORT, and TABULATE procedures; ODS HTML, RTF, PRINTER, and OUTPUT destinations; PROC REPORT; more on PROC TABULATE; exporting data; and the colon modifier for informats. You'll find clear and concise explanations of basic SAS concepts (such as DATA and PROC steps), inputting data, modifying and combining data sets, summarizing and presenting data, basic statistical procedures, and debugging SAS programs. Each topic is presented in a self-contained, two-page layout complete with examples and graphics. This format enables new users to get up and running quickly, while the examples allow you to type in the program and see it work!
Customer Reviews:
Whew, this book saved me!.......2007-10-01
I've only read two chapters of this book, but compared to the text and course notes my instructor gave out....this book helps me greatly!!
Excellent book to learn SAS with.......2007-09-07
This is an excellent book to learn SAS with, it goes through everything you need to know to get up and running with SAS. Unlike SAS manuals that go on and on for hundreds of pages talking about everything but what you need to know to do something, this book gets you up and running in very little time. I highly recommend it for anyone who needs to be able to become functional in SAS quickly.
Excellent for new SAS user, but...........2007-08-10
This is excellent for any new SAS user but the topics are introductory. If you are SAS naive and trying to solve a specific statistical problem in a short time, it won't be helpful to you.
good book........2007-05-22
I've used SPSS, but never SAS. This book is well organized and helped me to start using SAS quickly.
Best for learners.......2007-03-09
A "must have" book for SAS learners. Some of the best features of the book ---well organised, easy to follow, simple examples that help to understand the material.
A good reference book for SAS BASE and ADVANCED certification exams.
Average customer rating:
- Fantastic book!
- Stats and Andy Field
- Easy Read and Comprehensive too
- Outstanding Source for SPSS
- Better than any graduate level statistics course I have taken
|
Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (Introducing Statistical Methods S.) (2nd Edition)
Andy Field
Manufacturer: Sage Publications Ltd
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ASIN: 0761944524 |
Book Description
Get the Statistics Book That's Sweeping the Nation!
Appropriate for All Levels--Undergraduate to Doctorate Programs in Every Discipline!
This new edition of Field's bestselling textbook provides students of statistical methods with everything they need to understand, use and report statistics - at every level. Written in Andy Field's vivid and entertaining style, and furnished with playful examples from everyday student life (among other places), the book forms an accessible gateway into the often intimidating world of statistics and a unique opportunity for students to ground their knowledge of statistics through the use of SPSS. The text is fully compliant with the latest release of SPSS (version 13).
Key updates in
Second Edition:
- More coverage with completely new material on non-parametric statistics, loglinear analysis, effect sizes and how to report statistical analysis
- Even more student-friendly features, including a glossary of key statistical terms and exercises at the end of chapters for students to work through, with datasets and answers to chapter exercises on the accompanying CD-ROM
- A larger and more easy-to-reference format: notation in each section identifies the intended level of study while the new 2-color text design enhances the features in the book and, together with the larger format, provides extra clarity throughout
- A companion website is available at
www.sagepub.co.uk/field, containing resources for both students and instructors: a testbank of MCQs for students to test their own knowledge; online glossary in flash card format; multiple choice questions and answers to use for class assessment – available on restricted access basis to instructors via entry password; and PowerPoint Slides of all formatted artwork in the textbook for instructors to include in their own lecture slides.
Andy Field is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at The University of Sussex, U.K. where his success in making statistics accessible was recognized with a teaching award in 2001.
"The Second Edition of Andy Field's
Discovering Statistics Using SPSS is an excellent book and a valuable addition to the teaching of statistics in the behavioral sciences. The title of the book accurately reflects the approach taken. This is not simply a primer on how to use SPSS, but is a very good statistics text using SPSS as a vehicle for illustrating and expanding on the statistical content of the book. At the same time it also serves as a manual for SPSS, and has taught me things that I had not known about the software. I find this flexible approach to the blending of content and software to be an effective way of teaching the material. It is impossible to review this book without commenting on Andy's particular style. I enjoyed it immensely and think that it would appeal to both students and their instructors. It is refreshing to see someone who doesn't take himself too seriously."
-- David C Howell, Professor Emeritus,
University of Vermont
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic book!.......2007-09-30
I could not have lived through my dissertation without this book. It finally helped me to conceptually understand statistics.
Also,(many of) his jokes are belly-busting funny. I used one humorous musing in my oral defense about Fisher's alpha levels:"I wonder how different my career would be if Fisher had woken up that day in 90% type of mood."
Stats and Andy Field.......2007-08-19
Andy's book is an excellent aid in learning statistics. If you want the executive summary (aka cliff notes), Andy provides sections where you can get a quick overview of a specific test. If you want the details, Andy provides those also in his book.
I used his book to help me in my doctoral quest, when I was in my second statistics class as a supplemental text. However, it is of a quality that any person seeking to learn more about stats will come away with knowledge of how stats can help us know more about the world in which we live.
Easy Read and Comprehensive too.......2007-08-04
In my job, I often train others how to use SPSS. This book comes up in conversation a lot. It is outstanding. I have come to the conclusion that if a serious user of SPSS's statistical features is to get only one reference; this is it. Something I have noticed is that when I meet someone that has spent time with the book, the are invariably quite good at SPSS. Even if they may not have mastered all the techniques in this large book, they know their stuff.
The Pallant book SPSS Survival Manual, which I have also reviewed, is designed to help survive a first course (and presumably last) in basic statistics. The Field book, however, could be revisited again and again, each time reaching a deeper understanding.
I already know the statistics in this book well, so I can't claim that this book has taught me the basics, but it simultaneously covers all the major topics of interest while keeping it as simple as possible. I wish I had existed earlier in my career. The main advantage to users of SPSS is that all of the examples are SPSS examples. However, make no mistake, this is a serious introduction to statistics, not merely a point and click guide. It is not current with version 15.0, but I don't think this is a major strike against it, given the excellent review of theory. If, however, you really need to keep up on the current features like I do, you will want to consider books in addition this one. Consider one or more of the three Norusis books depending on your level and needs.
Outstanding Source for SPSS.......2007-07-15
This is one of the best statistics and SPSS guidebooks that I have seen. I believe that it can be very useful for novice to expert. It is both technical and conceptual and can function as a textbook for statistics as well as an operational handbook for navigating through SPSS. Although it is based on SPSS 13.0, I have found it to be quite applicable to the SPSS version 15.0 that I am using. This book is an invaluable source for the completion of my doctoral dissertation and I would highly recommend it for the student or advanced statistician! B. Cliff, PhD Candidate, Western Michigan University
Better than any graduate level statistics course I have taken.......2007-06-14
I am a 4th year PhD student and wish I had discovered this book earlier. It is far better than any of the graduate level statistics course I have taken, and definitely better than any of the textbooks I have seen. In fact, I have thrown out all my other statistics textbooks - this is the only one I need. Aside from explaining the theory in an easy to understand way, Andy Field provides the practical aspect that no other texts or courses do (or, if they do, they fail to link it to the theory). Field shows you how to use SPSS to implement the theory in an easy, step by step way; he even tells you how to report the results in APA format. Don't waste your money on any other statistics textbooks!
Book Description
As the SAS© programming language continues to evolve, this guide follows suit with timely coverage of the combination statistical package, database management system, and high-level programming language. Using current examples from business, medicine, education, and psychology, Applied Statistics and the SAS Programming Language is an invaluable resource for applied researchers, giving them the capacity to perform statistical analyses with SAS without wading through pages of technical documentation.
Includes the necessary SAS statements to run programs for most of the commonly used statistics, explanations of the computer output, interpretations of results, and examples of how to construct tables and write up results for reports and journal articles. Illustrated with SAS Graph⢠output. Provides readers with ample models for developing programming skills.
For anyone interested in learning more about applied statistics and the SAS programming language.
Customer Reviews:
Poor book.......2007-03-20
I hoped more. It is a very basic book, with elemental examples and no clear directions on the best use of SAS.
Great for real life applications.......2007-01-01
Great book.. It is a great asset to my SAS library.
Too much unecessary detail about reading in data.......2006-11-10
Theres just too much unecessary material in this book about ways to read in data etc. Its all unecessary cos like myself most professional analysts and statisticians have access to SAS enterprise guide, which is incredibly powerful and so much less time consuming. The programming language is only useful for algorithms these days, as most professionals havent got the time to be debugging code all day. The text covers nothing about cluster analysis either which is central to a lot of multi variate analysis.
The mathematics and statistical detail is of far more interest and importance to us in the working environment than reading in of files.
Poor value.......2006-10-14
The book can be helpful to college students, but is of little benefit to more seasoned statisticians. The title notwithstanding, most of its chapters deal with general-purpose SAS programming; the rest (totaling 100-150 pages) offer a very basic review of REG, TTEST, LOGISTIC and FACTOR procedures, something that you can easily find online. (Check out the SAS tutorials offered by UCLA). I like and recommend Ron Cody's other books, but not this overpriced softcover.
Blergh.......2006-09-13
I did not like this book. The organization was abysmal, and I decided to sell it back to the college bookstore for use by future hapless students, because it is not good as a reference guide.
I did not like how the author seemed to gear the book to an audience that is terrified of their computers or anything dealing with *gasp* math.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent buy
- Confusing to say the least
- Fantastic algorithms book
- Good Reference, Poor Textbook
- Too much and too little
|
Introduction to Algorithms
Thomas H. Cormen ,
Charles E. Leiserson ,
Ronald L. Rivest , and
Clifford Stein
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
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ASIN: 0262032937 |
Amazon.com
Aimed at any serious programmer or computer science student, the new second edition of Introduction to Algorithms builds on the tradition of the original with a truly magisterial guide to the world of algorithms. Clearly presented, mathematically rigorous, and yet approachable even for the math-averse, this title sets a high standard for a textbook and reference to the best algorithms for solving a wide range of computing problems.
With sample problems and mathematical proofs demonstrating the correctness of each algorithm, this book is ideal as a textbook for classroom study, but its reach doesn't end there. The authors do a fine job of explaining each algorithm. (Reference sections on basic mathematical notation will help readers bridge the gap, but it will help to have some math background to appreciate the full achievement of this handsome hardcover volume.) Every algorithm is presented in pseudo-code, which can be implemented in any computer language, including C/C++ and Java. This ecumenical approach is one of the book's strengths. When it comes to sorting and common data structures, from basic linked lists to trees (including binary trees, red-black, and B-trees), this title really shines, with clear diagrams that show algorithms in operation. Even if you just glance over the mathematical notation here, you can definitely benefit from this text in other ways.
The book moves forward with more advanced algorithms that implement strategies for solving more complicated problems (including dynamic programming techniques, greedy algorithms, and amortized analysis). Algorithms for graphing problems (used in such real-world business problems as optimizing flight schedules or flow through pipelines) come next. In each case, the authors provide the best from current research in each topic, along with sample solutions.
This text closes with a grab bag of useful algorithms including matrix operations and linear programming, evaluating polynomials, and the well-known Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) (useful in signal processing and engineering). Final sections on "NP-complete" problems, like the well-known traveling salesman problem, show off that while not all problems have a demonstrably final and best answer, algorithms that generate acceptable approximate solutions can still be used to generate useful, real-world answers.
Throughout this text, the authors anchor their discussion of algorithms with current examples drawn from molecular biology (like the Human Genome Project), business, and engineering. Each section ends with short discussions of related historical material, often discussing original research in each area of algorithms. On the whole, they argue successfully that algorithms are a "technology" just like hardware and software that can be used to write better software that does more, with better performance. Along with classic books on algorithms (like Donald Knuth's three-volume set, The Art of Computer Programming), this title sets a new standard for compiling the best research in algorithms. For any experienced developer, regardless of their chosen language, this text deserves a close look for extending the range and performance of real-world software. --Richard Dragan
Topics covered: Overview of algorithms (including algorithms as a technology); designing and analyzing algorithms; asymptotic notation; recurrences and recursion; probabilistic analysis and randomized algorithms; heapsort algorithms; priority queues; quicksort algorithms; linear time sorting (including radix and bucket sort); medians and order statistics (including minimum and maximum); introduction to data structures (stacks, queues, linked lists, and rooted trees); hash tables (including hash functions); binary search trees; red-black trees; augmenting data structures for custom applications; dynamic programming explained (including assembly-line scheduling, matrix-chain multiplication, and optimal binary search trees); greedy algorithms (including Huffman codes and task-scheduling problems); amortized analysis (the accounting and potential methods); advanced data structures (including B-trees, binomial and Fibonacci heaps, representing disjoint sets in data structures); graph algorithms (representing graphs, minimum spanning trees, single-source shortest paths, all-pairs shortest paths, and maximum flow algorithms); sorting networks; matrix operations; linear programming (standard and slack forms); polynomials and the Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT); number theoretic algorithms (including greatest common divisor, modular arithmetic, the Chinese remainder theorem, RSA public-key encryption, primality testing, integer factorization); string matching; computational geometry (including finding the convex hull); NP-completeness (including sample real-world NP-complete problems and their insolvability); approximation algorithms for NP-complete problems (including the traveling salesman problem); reference sections for summations and other mathematical notation, sets, relations, functions, graphs and trees, as well as counting and probability backgrounder (plus geometric and binomial distributions).
Book Description
There are books on algorithms that are rigorous but incomplete and others that cover masses of material but lack rigor. Introduction to Algorithms combines rigor and comprehensiveness.
The book covers a broad range of algorithms in depth, yet makes their design and analysis accessible to all levels of readers. Each chapter is relatively self-contained and can be used as a unit of study. The algorithms are described in English and in a pseudocode designed to be readable by anyone who has done a little programming. The explanations have been kept elementary without sacrificing depth of coverage or mathematical rigor.
The first edition became the standard reference for professionals and a widely used text in universities worldwide. The second edition features new chapters on the role of algorithms, probabilistic analysis and randomized algorithms, and linear programming, as well as extensive revisions to virtually every section of the book. In a subtle but important change, loop invariants are introduced early and used throughout the text to prove algorithm correctness. Without changing the mathematical and analytic focus, the authors have moved much of the mathematical foundations material from Part I to an appendix and have included additional motivational material at the beginning.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent buy.......2007-09-24
I bought a new copy of the book, and was happy to receive it the way I expected. Got free shipping with this one.
Confusing to say the least.......2007-09-14
This book does not provide enough examples to really get the ideas across. It is a thick read that provides little help to the subject matter unless the reader already has a wealth of knowledge on mathematical proofs and algorithms to begin with.
If the book had a solution manual, or at least explained many of the things that occur in the problem sections that never show up in the actual reading, then it would be a much easier to understand textbook.
Fantastic algorithms book.......2007-06-03
This is one of the few books that I've kept from my undergrad days as a computer science major. Although I haven't been doing software development in a while, I still use it for reference once in a while. It's easy to understand and timeless reference book. I work for a large DoD company and quite a few of my co-workers have this book on their shelves as well. (We all went to different colleges.)
Good Reference, Poor Textbook.......2007-04-19
This is a good reference for researchers, but it is not suitable for beginners. For anyone who try to study algorithms in the beginning, he just needs the big picture of this course, but this book contains too many mathematical proofs. In other words, the beginners just want a cup of milk, but the authors of this book give them a whole cow.
Although this book is quite huge, it does not contain some important topics, like online algorithms, randomized algorithms ... etc. In fact, this book should try to 'lose its weight' in order to get more useful knowledge.
The book contains a lot of interesting exercises, but does not indicate any hints or solutions. In fact, some of those exercises are too hard for students, and the authors should try to announce all sloutions in the website.
Too much and too little.......2007-03-02
+ Defacto standard
+ Accompanying WebCourse
- Too deep if used as an intro book; lacks solutions if used for a reference book
- It's HUGE!; hard to carry around
= Tries to appease too wide an audience. Definately attractive to professors who already know the information and feel this is THE book yet probably too deep for an intro algorithms class. Wish there was a searchable pdf version that came with the book on a CD as well as odd numbered solutions.
Book Description
A complete, highly accessible introduction to one of today's most exciting areas of applied mathematics
One of the youngest, most vital areas of applied mathematics, combinatorial optimization integrates techniques from combinatorics, linear programming, and the theory of algorithms. Because of its success in solving difficult problems in areas from telecommunications to VLSI, from product distribution to airline crew scheduling, the field has seen a ground swell of activity over the past decade.
Combinatorial Optimization is an ideal introduction to this mathematical discipline for advanced undergraduates and graduate students of discrete mathematics, computer science, and operations research. Written by a team of recognized experts, the text offers a thorough, highly accessible treatment of both classical concepts and recent results. The topics include:
* Network flow problems
* Optimal matching
* Integrality of polyhedra
* Matroids
* NP-completeness
Featuring logical and consistent exposition, clear explanations of basic and advanced concepts, many real-world examples, and helpful, skill-building exercises, Combinatorial Optimization is certain to become the standard text in the field for many years to come.
Customer Reviews:
A Classic in Combinatorial Optimization.......2003-03-19
Combinaorial Optimization is one of those rare books that is an instant classic. The authors weave a readable fabric of intuition and theory that is unmatched in this exciting discipline. The choice of topics covered begins with two fundamental optimization problems, namely, the minimum spanning tree and shortest path problems. Next, maximum flow and minimum cost flow problems are discussed, followed by matching problems, polyhedral issues arising in combinatorial optimization, and the famous traveling salesman problem. The text concludes with chapters on matroids and NP-Completeness. The exposition on these topics is very well written and the proofs are rigorous. There is a terrific blend of theory, algorithms and applications without overwhelming the reader with computational details. The authors also do a good job of developing an accurate historical perspective of the material, most of which evolved during the time period 1955 to 1995. The book is suitable for an upper-level undergraduate, or a graduate course. The exercises are very well thought out and are at an appropriate level. I have taught undergraduate courses in combinatorial optimization for over 10 years and have always struggled to find an appropriate text. My problem has now been solved.
Elegant one, but not a lot of details........1999-09-30
This book was thoroughly written by great-minded Masters. It is well-organized in their topics and presentation. However, the book details is unbalnced, some chapters are overwhelm the data, and some others are insufficient. By the way, I graded this book a Very Good one. Worth Reading !!
A superb introduction to Combinatorial Optimisation.......1999-07-17
A good introduction to Combinatorial optimisation and integer programming.
Especially recommended are the chapters on minimum weight matching and the TSP.
Customer Reviews:
Justin London did it again.......2007-07-19
I highlight two points:
1. The inclusion of Matlab and Excel code in almost all topics of the book.
2. All the content is new and more advanced, there is no recovered topics of his previous book.
Offers prebuilt code for immediate use.......2007-06-29
This book offers prebuilt, modifiable code that you can use for energy, power, weather and many other derivatives applications. The download process is fast and easy. For those who use Matlab, C++, or Excel, there is no competition. A great book with unique content and code.
Excellent resource for coding derivatives.......2007-06-16
This book was my ultimate go-to resource on several financial engineering projects (on the buy side). It covers many different derivatives and provides example MatLab and C++ code that is easy to modify and extend.
The instructions for setup and downloading the code could be more clear, perhaps on a CD.
State of the art derivative modeling book.......2007-04-10
Great book. But the code downloading process is a bit weird. Don't know why they just attach a CD.
Describes the Modelling Procedure and Gives the Code.......2007-02-08
Derivatives are not simple things. It almost seems that complexity was a design goal when they were being set up. In order to determine their real value either today or in the future you almost have to model them on a computer.
This book covers dozens of different types of derivatives, including the common ones and some of the new even more esoteric ones. It talks about the structure of the derivative, and then presents models of them. The models are presented in the most common modelling 'languages' in use today. There is a lot of code involved, but there is not a CD included with the book. Instead, an access code providing a one time download for the code. Note, a one time download. Be sure and save the code quickly and on several media. This procedure allows the models to be updated as needed without regard to the time it takes for the book to move from being written to being published, but if you have a disk crash....
The biggest things this book provides are: first, you get to see what an expert in the field has done, and second, you get the code to run his models on your system, and of course you can modify them if you find some other aspect suits your needs better.
This is a new book, first printed in December 2006, so it is current with the derivatives being marketing at that time.
Book Description
The cost of statistical computing software has precluded many universities from installing these valuable computational and analytical tools. R, a powerful open-source software package, was created in response to this issue. It has enjoyed explosive growth since its introduction, owing to its coherence, flexibility, and free availability. While it is a valuable tool for students who are first learning statistics, proper introductory materials are needed for its adoption. Using R for Introductory Statistics fills this gap in the literature, making the software accessible to the introductory student. The author presents a self-contained treatment of statistical topics and the intricacies of the R software. The pacing is such that students are able to master data manipulation and exploration before diving into more advanced statistical concepts. The book treats exploratory data analysis with more attention than is typical, includes a chapter on simulation, and provides a unified approach to linear models. This text lays the foundation for further study and development in statistics using R. Appendices cover installation, graphical user interfaces, and teaching with R, as well as information on writing functions and producing graphics. This is an ideal text for integrating the study of statistics with a powerful computational tool.
Customer Reviews:
Very complete introduction to statistics and GNU R.......2007-07-27
This is the perfect book if you are looking for a self-contained, practical introduction to statistics using GNU R.
It contains a lot of examples and exercises for reinforcing the contents. Very clear and organized presentation of topics. It assumes no previous background on statistics at all, and could be used as a complementary text for lab sessions.
It both explains GNU R commands and data types and provides a basic introduction to statistics theory, from a practical point of view. The last one, of course, may also be enhanced by your favorite book for introductory statistics, though it is not absolutely necessary to use this book.
Poorly organized and frustrating.......2007-07-23
In an introductory book, it is really important to present concepts in order. This book fails on this count. On more than one occasion, a concept (e.g., "trimmed mean") or a function (e.g., "range(x)") is mentioned without being defined, only to be presented as new later on. This is very frustrating and prevents a new student from working through the book fast. As some other reviewers remarked, the index is a complete disaster, which only makes this worse. It is nice that the book comes with a package of problems. The package lacks answers to most of these problems, though, so one can't check progress easily.
Look elsewhere.
best overall introduction to statistics using R.......2007-05-08
This book is an excellent introduction to basic statistics, not assuming a knowledge of calculus, using an intuitive "hands-on approach" using the free computer program R. Statistics should be learned with the fingers on a computer, not merely by memorizing formulas, so you do well to learn statistics with a book in one hand, sitting in front of a computer. John Verzani gives a gentle introduction to statistics using R.
For those unaware, R is a complete, very powerful statistics program that was developed in the 1990s based on an early language called S/Splus, created by John Chambers in the 1970s. S/Splus is an extremely powerful language for doing statistics / numerical research, and was developed explicitly for that purpose. It is far stronger than Matlab for statistical data analysis. R has a vibrant online community with hundreds of free add-on packages (available from the CRAN website). R has grown to be much more powerful than SPSS or SAS in recent years, and is becoming the tool of choice by the experts in the field. It's suitable for beginners too, but doesn't have the point and click style of simpler programs.
There are three main books that are introductions to R. One by Verzani (reviewed here), one by Dalgaard, and one by Crawley. Of the three, I find this one to be the best. It is the most clearly organized and has the best logical presentation of the three. It goes into the right amount of depth without getting bogged down. You can work through all the exercises in the book because the datasets are freely downloadable from the web.
Be sure to do as many of the exercises in the book as you can -- that will really help you to learn statistics well!
Great stater book.......2005-12-24
This is a great stater book for basic statistics.And for being used for 28 bucks you can not go wrong.
not my favorite book.......2005-09-29
This is my textbook for an introductory biostats course. The reason why the teacher picked this book is because the software, R, is free. I find that if I use this as an instruction manual to use R, it's okay. However, as a statistics book, I find it difficult to follow and the explanations are not as clear as some of the other books on the market (e.g. the Dawson book called "Basic and Clinical Biostatistics" which is much more palatable)
Product Description
SAS Learning Edition 4.1: Bringing the power of Data Analytics to individuals
Preset Die Date: December 31, 2011. The need for talented people capable of leveraging world-class business analytics has never been clearer. SAS Learning Edition s educational bundle gives individuals, looking to enhance their SAS skills, the freedom to learn at their own pace and on their own PCs or laptops all on low-cost, self-install CD-ROMs. SAS users at all levels, from novice to advanced, will appreciate this innovative and comprehensive personal learning version of SAS. Maximize your learning experience with SAS Enterprise Guide, point-and-click access to the power of SAS. Or, write and modify SAS code using the SAS Program Editor. This latest and expanded version includes Base SAS 9.1.3, SAS/STAT, SAS/GRAPH, SAS/QC, SAS/ETS, and SAS Enterprise Guide 4.1; it's bundled with The Little SAS Book for Enterprise Guide 4.1. Get that extra competitive advantage: Prepare for the SAS Base Programming and Advanced Programming Certification Exams using SAS Learning Edition 4.1!
Customer Reviews:
Easy to use SAS with or without programming!.......2007-05-21
If you want to learn SAS for school or work, this is an easy way to pick it up and learn it in short order. It is based on SAS Enterprise Guide 4.1 and SAS 9.1.3 (a very recent release of SAS production software.)
The main disadvantage is the license restricts this to learning or educational purposes and there is a limit on how much data can be used in your analysis (educational purposes implies modest amounts of data.)
Otherwise, with SAS at work running to thousands of dollars per seat, this is an affordable way to have and use SAS!
You can program in SAS language or use the point and click interface of Enterprise Guide tasks and wizards. These tasks and wizards make it easy for novices to open, manage, report on, summarize, graph, and analyze data all with a convenient point and click interface (no programming is needed!)
SAS Software for 65 bucks? A Great Deal!!.......2007-02-22
SAS is a powerful product. As someone pointed out in the review for the earlier edition, SAS Programmers are in huge demand because SAS is required by the FDA for all pharmaceutical companies in order to bring drugs to market. It is used by 98 of the Fortune 100 companies. And it is the defacto standard for the financial industry with the anti-money laundering laws.
The flipside is that SAS is not intuitive -- you can't just read a book and learn it without actually having it in front of you and the classes are expensive (although their online training is quite reasonable). If you don't have access to SAS you aren't going to be able to learn it effectively. It isn't like Java or C where you can just go out and get a free compiler and play around with it on your own. I work for a bank where we use SAS exclusively for IT Data analysis. I need to be able to learn SAS quickly and for me, that means learning at home in my infinite gravity chair.
True, it expires in a bit less than 2 years. However, this is intended to be a learning tool -- not a business tool. And even business versions of SAS must be renewed every year -- you don't renew, the software is useless. That is the SAS business model and it has been very effective for them -- just as the MS Windows license scheme is designed to maximize the market share and profitability of that company.
My only complaint is that I wish that SAS would come out with an "intermediate" version for home users -- something that could handle more data and contained all of the procedures of Base SAS. But then SAS would face having others try to abuse the intent of the product and circumvent their license structure just as some would like to do with the learning edition. I also wish they would come out with a LINUX version.
The next price point is to purchase a "full" license for over $7000.00 which also has to be renewed each year. Yikes!
I was going to purchase the Little SAS Book for EG anyway which is 60 bucks by itself. So in essence, I'm getting the software for 65 bucks. With that pricing, I could buy a new version of the Learning Edition every 2 years (by which point SAS will have updated their software so would want the newer version anyway) and it would be 140 years before the full-fledged license to become cost effective.
SAS and statistics in general are becoming more and more important job skills (ever hear of Six Sigma?) so an entry-level package that gives folks an opportunity to learn how to use both is invaluable for anyone that wants to enhance their marketability -- regardless of what industry you work in.
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UPDATED TO ADD USABILITY REVIEW
I realized I did not speak to the usability of the product which may be of more interest (thanks to the reader for suggesting this).
The SAS Learning Edition 4.1 is an effective learning tool for those who are just starting out with SAS and those who want to become hardcore BASE SAS programmers.
If you are just starting out with SAS and Statistical Analysis, you will want to start with SAS Enterprise Guide (EG) -- a windows-based wizard-like front end for calculating sample statistics, creating graphs, performing ANOVA, regression, and Time-Series Analysis. The advantage to using SAS EG is that you don't have to know a lick of code to actually use SAS. The downside, of course, is that it does not teach you how to actually program in SAS. It is like using the "address book" feature on your cell phone -- you can easily call anyone you have in your adress book. However, if you actually need to recall their phone number, you won't know it because you are relying on the memory of the phone and not your own.
SAS EG is a bit like training wheels. It will get you started. However, once you have mastered the basic analysis tools within SAS, you will want to refine them to be most appropriate with your data. For example, SAS EG relies on a certain set of defaults and often those defaults will be oriented towards the most common user applications which tend to be either social sciences or pharmaceuticals. If you are trying to analyze IT or financial data, you may need to change the defaults in order to make the analyses more appropriate for your goals.
The great thing about SAS EG is that it allows you to view actual SAS code. You can then cut and paste that and start using the SAS Program editor to take your skill sets one step further and learn the nuts and bolts of SAS Programming. Think of the difference between SAS EG and SAS Programming as using Visual C to create a program vs actually starting with C-code and building from scratch. Again, SAS Learning Edition will allow you to make that progression.
This progression will make a significant difference to potential employers if you are looking to enhance your resume by being able to add SAS to your list of skills. Some companies are looking for individuals who can do the basics with SAS EG. However, many employers are going to be looking for individuals who can use both EG AND SAS Programming. If you really want to separate yourself from the pack, you will take the time to learn the actual SAS Programming language. Again, it is like the difference between getting a bachelors degree and a masters. A bachelors implies you know the "what and how" to do something. However, a Masters implies you know how to do the "when" and "why" and how to extend the concepts when they don't fit the basic applications.
Finally, the differences between SAS Learning Edition 4.1 vs 2.1 is that you are getting the most up-to-date version of the software. SAS, like any software program, continues to evolve. While the SAS programming language is pretty stable and is not changing significantly from one year to the next, the SAS EG Interface and Architecture are undergoing constant revision as user feedback is incorporated and as programming technologies continue to evolve. Since SAS Business Licenses are renewed every year, they will tend to upgrade their software version (they want to feel like they get something for their renewal fee.) It isn't like if you don't want Vista, you just don't upgrade and therefore, you don't have to look for people with Vista skills.
Businesses will expect that people they hire have knowledge of the current release because that is what they most likely have -- once again, this is a side effect of the SAS License model. Again, this is another reason why the expiration of the 4.1 LE for 12/2008 is not a significant limitation -- by 12/2008, there will be at least one major release by SAS -- maybe 2 (SAS is planning a major release towards the end of 2007 and based on history, most likely will have another Service Pack or significant point release before the end of 2008)
Hope this helps.
I don't think so.......2007-02-07
I was a fan of 2.0, but the price of SAS Learning Edition 4.1 is just too high. I do not own this version, and do not plan to, and therefore I have based this review on published features of the product. Look elsewhere if you want to know about practical experience with SAS LE 4.1. On the plus side it comes with the book "The Little SAS Book for Enterprise Guide 4.1," and will process and display the first 1500 observations of your data, as opposed to 1000 with 2.0. On the downside, the license expires on Dec. 31, 2008, as opposed to Dec. 1, 2008 for 2.0, after which time it will apparently not be usable. All this for about twice the price of 2.0. Fine for SAS to provide a learning resource, but if they really want to provide an educational service (rather than being just another part of the problem with education) I think they should make it available at a price that is affordable to learners.
Product Description
Prepare for the SAS Base Programming for SAS®9 certification exam with the official guide by the SAS® Certified Professional Program. New and experienced SAS users who want to prepare for the SAS Base Programming for SAS®9 certification exam will find this guide an invaluable, convenient and comprehensive resource that covers all of the objectives tested on the exam. Major topics include importing and exporting raw data files, creating and modifying SAS data sets, and identifying and correcting data syntax and programming logic errors.You will also become familiar with the enhancements and new functionality that are available in SAS®9. Includes a free CD-ROM with tutorials, practice data, and sample programs to further reinforce and test your SAS skills.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent prep for test with programming I and II.......2007-05-14
The most notable attribute of the SAS Prep Guide is that it contains a lot of information not included in the two programming classes that I've taken from the SAS Institute (Base Programming I and II). The classes were great, but the book adds even more material (and if it's on the test, I want to know about it!). The book is thorough, over 750 pages of material and includes about 10 questions at the end of each chapter as a test (answers and explanations in the back of the book). Also, the book doubles as a reference guide in case you're stumped and need a resource. I have not used the CDROM at all and thus have no comments in regards to it. Overall, I suggest it, especially if you can get your company to pay for it!
GOOD BOOK .......2007-03-20
For novice and experienced programmers who wants to write certification exam its a good reference book. I recommend to buy this book.
good guide for SAS certification test.......2007-01-09
I have been preparing for base SAS certification test, this book provided me the opportunity to see what to expect in test and how to better prepare for the test.
Passed SAS Base Programming Certification Exam using this guidebook.......2006-12-07
Bought the Prep Guide (SAS9) in August, read it twice and did all
quizes after each chapter. Then, reviewed the book contents and all
problems again. Took the test in October and passed it. I changed a
job within the company right after, got a 10% higher pay than my
current one.
You can just study the guidebook alone. Doing the programming exercises
in the accompanied CD is helpful for understanding the contents, but not
absolutely necessary as long as you fully understand and memorize some
important details. The information is massive, you got to put them in
an organized way so that you are able to retrieve them easily and fast
when you are taking test. Answering 70 questions in 2 hrs, there is a
plenty of time. Good luck!
Book Description
Assuming no prior MATLAB experience, this clear, easy-to-read book walks readers through the ins and outs of this powerful software for technical computing, including:
- Generously illustrated computer screen shots and step-by-step tutorials applied in the areas of mathematics, science, and engineering
- Clearly shows how MATLAB is used in science and engineering
- Includes a completely new chapter on Symbolic Math
- Thoroughly updated to match Matlab's newest release, Matlab 7
Customer Reviews:
Great for learning the basics of MATLAB........2007-08-18
I purchased this title because I am starting a numerical analysis sequence next year using Matlab and I knew only how to plot in 2D and do simple calculations at the command line. After studying from Gilat's text for the past month or so I feel very comfortable using Matlab for all the basics and I am ready to learn how to exploit the full power of the program.
Each chapter gives just enough mathematical background to provide anyone with at least college algebra/trig enough to understand what is going on.
Although this book does not cover any topic too deeply, it does cover the fundamentals of many aspects of Matlab in a way that allows the reader to move fairly quickly through the whole book without getting bogged down in any one area.
In the end you will know the basics about how Matlab operates: how to work with vectors and matrices, how to write simple programs and function files, how to plot and format data, how to fit data to a curve, and how to differentiate and integrate both numerically and symbolically, and a bunch of other great tools for solving problems.
Also, as the other reviewers mentioned, the book makes very good use of graphics to show how input and output should look, as well as what exactly each line means.
I would recommend this text to anyone wanting to learn the basics of Matlab.
Reader.......2007-04-23
If you plan to start with Matlab with no prior experience, this book beats most of the other available titles.Since an inside view of the book is not available on Amazon, I will for the benefit of others list out the chapters here.Ch1 begins with the necessary introduction,developing familiarity with the command window,display formats and precedence of operators.It moves on to Ch2 and Ch3 where arrays are introduced and the mathematical operations on them explained.Ch4 is about script files,Ch5 on elementary plotting techniques using in-built functions like plot and fplot.Ch6 introduces functions and Ch7 extends the previous material to formal programming techniques like loops and control structures.Ch8 explains curve fitting and interpolation,Ch9 is about three dimensional plots and special graphics.Ch10, the last one of the book uses Matlab to do symbolic math which cover elementary algebraic equations.The examples contained in the book are from elementary physics and engineering,so if you are looking for more advanced material that has been treated using Matlab,this might be a little less helpful.The numerical techniques again cover simple problems like projectile trajectory,flow of water from a vessel with a small hole punched in its sidewall,RC circuits, viscosity and so on.Relatively advanced topics like Fourier transforms and applications to signal processing are also left out.If you are done with this book or feel that the material isnt of much help, I will suggest that you might try "Numerical Computing with Matlab" by Moler(he is perhaps one of the architects of Matlab).This book(electronic version) is available for free from the mathworks website [...].Overall this book does a good job in explaining details and is also generously sprinkled with figures and screenshots.Please try it if you are first timer to Matlab.
Very good introduction.......2006-05-04
I had never used matlab when I started reading this book and I found it very easy to follow. I now have a good working understanding of the matlab basics and I recommend that anyone who's looking to get started with matlab pick up a copy.
The perfect introductory text for MATLAB.......2005-12-08
If you are completely new to MATLAB then you will find no better book to guide you through the basics. It is perfectly suited for teaching yourself several basic but still very interesting and useful programming techniques. Topics are presented to the reader in an order carefully determined to produce maximum benefit and knowledge. The book is short and very readable, with many example programs.
In short: if you want a FIRST introductory textbook for MATLAB, you can't beat this book. And it covers the latest version (Release 14).
A truly excellent text!.......2005-11-21
This book was written for teaching Matlab to freshmen in an introductory engineering course, so most of the examples are from first year physics and engineering. Nevertheless, after looking at all competing texts, I chose it to teach Matlab to sophomore geology majors, most of whom had not yet taken calculus or physics. I was very happy with the results; by the end of the semester the students were well on their way to being competent programmers, and I think they will find calculus and physics much easier because of their experience with this book.
I chose this text because it is very well written--you can tell the author has had long experience teaching the subject--and because of its many excellent examples. Most people learn faster by example than by theory, and the examples in this book are easier to follow than those of other texts. Each example shows the command window with a gray background and white insets, or call-outs, containing explanations. The pages are attractive.
In the main text, Matlab commands are set in Courier to clearly distinguish them from the discussion itself. Sections are fairly short and easy to follow, and at the end of each chapter there are many problems of gradually increasing difficulty. The solutions to some problems are given at the back of the book. The abundance of complete examples makes it easy to skip around in the book as soon as students are familiar with Matlab syntax. There are astonishingly few typos and none were serious. Cell arrays and structures are used only where needed for particular commands, a wise pedagogical decision. I particularly enjoyed the second edition's new chapter on symbolic math, as I had never used this part of Matlab in my own research.
The book is 7.5"x9.25" in size with 343 pages, and so is easy to carry around. It's inexpensive, as textbooks go nowadays.
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SAS Programming by Example
Applied Statistics and the SAS Programming Language (5th Edition)
Handbook of Statistical Analyses Using SAS, Second Edition
Cody's Data Cleaning Techniques Using SAS Software
SAS Macro Programming Made Easy, Second Edition
