Statistics for economics

This book demonstrates and discusses practices rather than theories. As un livre de cuisine, the "what," "how," and "when" rather than "why" of the subject are emphasized. The first part of the book is concerned, primarily, with standard methods used by general statisticians. The second and third parts involve, mainly, special methods used by eco nomic statisticians. The emphasis throughout is based upon the idea that statistics, as a scientific method, establishes uncertain empirical evidence rather than certain quantitative proof. The derivation and the substantive meaning of statistics for reduction and inference have been minimized, since the former involves mathematical deduction and the latter involves economic induction-both of which have been deemed irrelevant to a book on the application of methods and techniques. One lesson to be garnered from this book, as per F. Bacon, is tamquam virgo deo conse crata nihil parit ("the investigation of final causes, like a virgin dedicated to God, is barren").

This is a textbook and, hence, an unoriginal creation. The principles, methods, and concepts embodied are part of the discipline of statistics and, therefore, belong to all statisticians.