MAA Reviews

Probability with R: An Introduction with Computer Science Applications

Jane M. Horgan

Publisher: John Wiley (2008)
Details: 393 pages, Hardcover
Price: $100.00
ISBN: 9780470280737
Category: Textbook
Topics: Probability, Statistical Software

[Reviewed by Ita Cirovic Donev, on 01/27/2009]

The popularity of R is unquestionable. As a result, books on R are emerging from the press like mushrooms after the rain. This book is yet another example. However, not all is always positive with such an increase in supply.

The book under review is sort of a mix between a text on probability theory and one on using R as a computing environment. I say mix because there is just not enough focus on either probability theory or R. What I expected was a book that would introduce R to statistics students. However, they can get almost as much by just reading some help material on R. Some chapters are more detailed than others, providing a deeper insight, but on average the book just doesn’t provide enough substance.

Overall, I think the book would be better if focused in more detail on R and the computing environment while just stating the theoretical results. This way the book would serve as a companion to a theoretically inclined probability course. That could be a perfect match, as the student would get the actual understanding of the theory. However, this book can only provide a certain amount of that understanding as the R examples are quite limited.

The book can be useful to those wishing to learn some probability concepts in R on a very introductory level and don't want to read the help files for R. The text is aimed at undergraduate students in their first statistics course.

Ita Cirovic Donev holds a Masters degree in statistics from Rice University. Her main research areas are in mathematical finance; more precisely, statistical methods for credit and market risk. Apart from the academic work she does statistical consulting work for financial institutions in the area of risk management.