STATISTICS IN MEDICINE, VOL. 9,861 (1990) SHORT REVIEWS OF NEW EDITIONS Editor: Douglas G. Altman BIOSTATISTICS IN CLINICAL MEDICINE, Joseph A. Ingelfinger, Frederick Mosteller, Lawrence A. Thibodeau and James H. Ware, Second edition, Macmillan Publishing, New York, 1987. No. of pages: xxiv + 339. Price: E25 This book is unusual in being strongly based in clinical medicine, and possibly unique in beginning with diagnostic tests. The flavour is apparently the consequence of having both medical and stat isti- cian authors. Statistical methods of estimation and hypothesis testing are introduced in the context of discussion of clinical problems in the first six chapters. The next six chapters are more overtly statistical, being devoted to regression. The last two chapters relate to clinical trials. The first edition of this book was well received (see, for example, volume 4, p. 394). The second edition barely merits the description as there are few differences from the first edition. The main change has been the addition of two chapters on multiple regression and life tables. However, a chapter in the first edition devoted to the detailed analysis of a single data set has been omitted. There are a few new references, and a slight ex- pansion of the section on applied decision trees. This book is particularly suited to the clinician who wishes to understand more about the meth- odology used in the papers published in medical journals. It is not really a ‘how to’ manual. INTRODUCTION TO BIOSTATISTICS. Robert R. Sokal and F. James Rohlf, Second edition, W. H. Free- man and Co., New York, 1987. No. of pages: xii + 363. Price: E37.95 STATISTICS FOR BIOLOGISTS. R. D. Campbell, Third edition, University Press, Cambridge, 1989. No. of pages: xviii + 446. Price: E30 ($59.50) hardback; E12.95 ($19.95) paperback Sokal and Rohlf‘s book is a short version of their ‘Biometry’. Despite its title, and the avowed intent to be useful for medical as well as biological under- graduate students, there is nothing here of a medical nature except for a few data sets. The approach is traditional (that is, method-oriented), starting with chapters on descriptive statistics, probability distributions, and estimation and hypothesis testing (in that order). There follow four chapters on analysis of variance, reflecting the concentration on biological data. The last three chapters cover regression, correlation and the analysis of frequen- cies. The analysis of two-way tables covers the last seven pages of the book. The book is very well produced. In general the authors adopt an appealing non-mathematical style, but there are occasional pages full of for- mulae in the chapters on analysis of variance. There is minimal acknowledgement of the exist- ence of computers. There are no solutions to the exercises. Campbell’s book has a more appropriate title (which would apply equally well to Sokal and Rohlf’s book). His book has much more on non- parametric methods, but otherwise covers similar topics. However, the new edition incorporates illustrations of analyses using statistical software - Minitab, SPSS-X or Genstat. There is an unexpected chapter on utilities. Apart from the absence of any mention of clinical trials, diagnostic tests or any other matters of medical interest in either book, there is no discussion of design at all in Sokal and Rohlf‘s book,and just a few pages in Campbell’s. Neither book is really suitable for the medical seeker after statistical enlightenment, although both give much more attention to analysis of variance than most medical statistics texts. DOUGLAS G. ALTMAN Medical Statistics Laboratory Imperial Cancer Research Fund PO Box 123, Lincoln’s Inn Fields London WC2A 3PX, U.K. 0 1990 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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STATISTICS IN MEDICINE, VOL. 9,861 (1990)

SHORT REVIEWS OF NEW EDITIONS Editor: Douglas G. Altman

BIOSTATISTICS IN CLINICAL MEDICINE, Joseph A. Ingelfinger, Frederick Mosteller, Lawrence A. Thibodeau and James H. Ware, Second edition, Macmillan Publishing, New York, 1987. No. of pages: xxiv + 339. Price: E25

This book is unusual in being strongly based in clinical medicine, and possibly unique in beginning with diagnostic tests. The flavour is apparently the consequence of having both medical and stat isti- cian authors. Statistical methods of estimation and hypothesis testing are introduced in the context of discussion of clinical problems in the first six chapters. The next six chapters are more overtly statistical, being devoted to regression. The last two chapters relate to clinical trials.

The first edition of this book was well received (see, for example, volume 4, p. 394). The second edition barely merits the description as there are few differences from the first edition. The main change has been the addition of two chapters on multiple regression and life tables. However, a chapter in the first edition devoted to the detailed analysis of a single data set has been omitted. There are a few new references, and a slight ex- pansion of the section on applied decision trees.

This book is particularly suited to the clinician who wishes to understand more about the meth- odology used in the papers published in medical journals. It is not really a ‘how to’ manual.

INTRODUCTION TO BIOSTATISTICS. Robert R. Sokal and F. James Rohlf, Second edition, W. H. Free- man and Co., New York, 1987. No. of pages: xii + 363. Price: E37.95

STATISTICS FOR BIOLOGISTS. R. D. Campbell, Third edition, University Press, Cambridge, 1989. No. of pages: xviii + 446. Price: E30 ($59.50) hardback; E12.95 ($19.95) paperback

Sokal and Rohlf‘s book is a short version of their ‘Biometry’. Despite its title, and the avowed intent

to be useful for medical as well as biological under- graduate students, there is nothing here of a medical nature except for a few data sets. The approach is traditional (that is, method-oriented), starting with chapters on descriptive statistics, probability distributions, and estimation and hypothesis testing (in that order). There follow four chapters on analysis of variance, reflecting the concentration on biological data. The last three chapters cover regression, correlation and the analysis of frequen- cies. The analysis of two-way tables covers the last seven pages of the book.

The book is very well produced. In general the authors adopt an appealing non-mathematical style, but there are occasional pages full of for- mulae in the chapters on analysis of variance. There is minimal acknowledgement of the exist- ence of computers. There are no solutions to the exercises.

Campbell’s book has a more appropriate title (which would apply equally well to Sokal and Rohlf’s book). His book has much more on non- parametric methods, but otherwise covers similar topics. However, the new edition incorporates illustrations of analyses using statistical software - Minitab, SPSS-X or Genstat. There is an unexpected chapter on utilities.

Apart from the absence of any mention of clinical trials, diagnostic tests or any other matters of medical interest in either book, there is no discussion of design at all in Sokal and Rohlf‘s book,and just a few pages in Campbell’s.

Neither book is really suitable for the medical seeker after statistical enlightenment, although both give much more attention to analysis of variance than most medical statistics texts.

DOUGLAS G. ALTMAN Medical Statistics Laboratory

Imperial Cancer Research Fund PO Box 123, Lincoln’s Inn Fields

London WC2A 3PX, U.K.

0 1990 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.