This book provides a broad general survey of the principles of scientific method, and a substantial basic knowledge of statistics particularly in its application to scientific research and with special relevance to the fields of the social and biological sciences. The introductory chapters aim to place statistical procedures in the reader’s general philosophy and experience, and to show him their logical importance and practical utility. Mr. Kelley then develops a detailed presentation of essential statistics. Finally, he makes a serious but admittedly initial attempt to release the niceties of middle and advanced mathematics to the peculiar problems that may be found in a given issue and with given data. His book will be of particular value in the teaching of elementary statistics in that it provides a broad scientific and logical approach. Yet, while its earlier chapters constitute a complete first semester course and the later chapters a reference handbook for one going no further, these later chapters also provide the basic topics, procedures and formulas for incorporation into second and third semester courses in applied statistics.