Biostatistics for Epidemiology and Public Health Using R

First, let me define the lay of the land for the curious reader. Biostatistics is the study of statistics relevant for biomedical applications. It combines mathematics and the bio world, which includes Public Health and Epidemiology. R is free software for a programming environment that allows researchers to perform advanced analyses of statistical questions on datasets. This volume by Chan was the first textbook that addressed R and biostatistics in depth in the same volume.Chan teaches us about biostatistics theory and then illustrates how to use R to tackle practical problems. As such, his book straddles the space between a user’s manual for software and a primer on biostatistics. To save space, Chan does not enter deeply into mathematics, nor does he delve into advanced configurations of R. Instead, he tries to encourage a conversation between the two.He succeeds in facilitating such a conversation although at times, his work falls into mathematical errors. It could use an exacting mathematical editor. Each chapter has several interesting problems from the fields of epidemiology and public health at its end. Sample R code and sample R output are included; detailed mathematical derivations and proofs are not.This book is suitable for graduate student instruction, but likely will need to be coupled with other textbooks in the field of both R and biostatistics. For the novice who is just interested in introductory R, this book provides just enough fodder to get started through self-education and exercises. Other books, particularly those by Hadley Wickham, are recommended for further exploration of R.