Well perhaps we need more specialized INTRODUCTORY Stata books out
there. Geared towards individual disciplines (biostatistics, social
sciences etc.). I am also perplexed that since the existence of Stata
there have only been a handful of intro books in the entire inhabited
earth. This is a plea to authors for more intro books with useful and
meaningful exercises.
On 8/10/05, Richard Williams <[email protected]> wrote:
> At 09:02 AM 8/10/2005 -0400, Raphael Fraser wrote:
> >Dear Authors of Stata Books,
> >
> >I have a complaint about introductory Stata books. Recently, I have
> >been searching for "intro to Stata" books to teach masters level
> >students how to use Stata. Of the two intro books at Stata's book
> >store none had EXERCISES to reinforce concepts. Why should I buy a
> >book and create my own exercises? I feel cheated. While these books
>
> I think Hamilton's book is great. I think the real problem is that
> different people like different things, and there aren't as many books on
> Stata as there are for other programs. As I wrote in my review of
> Hamilton's book for the Stata Journal,
>
> "it is also important to acknowledge that, if Hamilton's is the one Stata
> book that everyone should own, it is partly because there are so few
> alternatives. If I wish to teach an introductory statistics course using
> SPSS, I probably have at least a dozen texts to choose from. If I want to
> teach that course using Stata, Hamilton wins almost by default. As I read
> Statistics with Stata, I repeatedly found myself thinking of things I would
> like to see done differently or additionally. However, no one text can do
> all things; many of the comments that follow are therefore not criticisms
> of the book, but rather, observations on the kinds of other texts I wish
> were available. Of course, since such books often are available using
> other software, those looking for a textbook and who are not wed to the
> choice of a specific program will want to consider whether, despite all its
> merits, SWS is the best choice for them...
>
> "...as good as Hamilton's examples are, instructors who feel that students
> learn statistics best by seeing relevant examples from their own fields of
> study should realize that Hamilton does not provide them with the kind of
> support that many other books will. Particularly for an introductory
> course where many of the students will never run a statistical package
> again, the benefits of using a superior program like Stata and a fine
> general book like Hamilton's will have to be weighed against the advantages
> of using a text that focuses on examples from the course's discipline."
>
>
> -------------------------------------------
> Richard Williams, Notre Dame Dept of Sociology
> OFFICE: (574)631-6668, (574)631-6463
> FAX: (574)288-4373
> HOME: (574)289-5227
> EMAIL: [email protected]
> WWW (personal): http://www.nd.edu/~rwilliam
> WWW (department): http://www.nd.edu/~soc
>
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