Principles of Statistical Inference

In this definitive book, D. R. Cox gives a comprehensive and balanced
appraisal of statistical inference. He develops the key concepts,
describing and comparing the main ideas and controversies over
foundational issues that have been keenly argued for more than
two-hundred years. Continuing a sixty-year career of major contributions
to statistical thought, no one is better placed to give this
much-needed account of the field. An appendix gives a more personal
assessment of the merits of different ideas. The content ranges from the
traditional to the contemporary. While specific applications are not
treated, the book is strongly motivated by applications across the
sciences and associated technologies. The mathematics is kept as
elementary as feasible, though previous knowledge of statistics is
assumed. The book will be valued by every user or student of statistics
who is serious about understanding the uncertainty inherent in
conclusions from statistical analyses.