Basic Math for Social Scientists: Concepts (Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences) 1st Edition

The math isn't basic for many and the descriptions aren't detailed enough for total beginners. But it does cover very well many interesting and important areas such as logarithms, linear algebra and calculus.

A friend recommended this book to me when I told him I was going to be doing Mathematics for Social Sciences this Semester. However it is more of a refresher for persons who are familiar with mathematics and not now learning. It did not help me, so if you are a student now learning college mathematics, a textbook is what you need. This book is for those who already know the concepts but just need a refresher.

I would suggest this more for a Social Scientist than a math major. I say this because its essentially a quick review of statistics, calculus, etc... which a math major would find redundant. If your a Social Scientist and need to know some math for what ever project your on, I would suggest it.

If you've been using stat software to analyze data so long you've forgotten what it's really doing, this book may be for you. Timothy Hagle "... lays bare the basic math underlying the leading statistical procedures of social and behavioral research." Successive chapters review the basic concepts and equations of algebra, limits, differential calculus, multivariate functions, integral calculus and matrix algebra. The concise matrix algebra review seems easier to follow than the longer treatment of the same material in Namboodiri's  Matrix Algebra: An Introduction .The book is recommended for a quick review of basic math. The author's discussion of the importance this math has for analysis of social science data is instructive and motivating to applied researchers. The book is well-supplemented by the example calculations in the author's companion volume,  Basic Math for Social Scientists: Problems and Solutions .

Good concise distillation of the basics. Reviews basic algebra, sets, permutations and combinations, limits, derivatives, integrals, and matrix algebra. Good for a refresher, for introduction, or for filling in gaps in one's basic knowledge. Won't make you a Ph.D. mathematician, but it doesn't pull punches. It's all stated here very simply: terms, equations, and examples. No fluff. Nice slim portable volume. Weighs less than a good sandwich.