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The handling of numbers in arithmetic and the progression into the more abstract field of mathematics and statistics is generally approached poorly in our education system. The inadequacy is not necessarily in the teaching techniques or the books and other text used but rather in the attitude towards these subjects. These subjects are seen as something which has to be taught because it is part of a preordained curriculum rather than a set of tools which are available to help people live a fuller, more productive and more interesting life. It is so enlightening when one hears people say, "I thought that when I left school I was leaving all the maths stuff behind me!" or "I was bored witless by all those numbers and formulas [sic] that were forced down my throat".
This book was written out of a frustration at seeing statistics taught through formal methods using large scale statistic software packages. It seemed to me that very little was learned by this process and quite often both the teachers and the students were in denial. It is true that the students were generally able to pick up enough knowledge to pass an examination or to complete a piece of research. But I seldom saw anything which could be regarded as deep learning and the little which had been learned did not stay for any length of time in the heads of these learners. I know people who have passed several university level courses in statistics and they can hardly recall never mind use any of what was taught to them.
