Basic Statistics with R: Reaching Decisions with Data provides an understanding of the processes at work in using data for results. Sections cover data collection and discuss exploratory analyses, including visual graphs, numerical summaries, and relationships between variables - basic probability, and statistical inference - including hypothesis testing and confidence intervals. All topics are taught using real-data drawn from various fields, including economics, biology, political science and sports. Using this wide variety of motivating examples allows students to directly connect and make statistics essential to their field of interest, rather than seeing it as a separate and ancillary knowledge area.

In addition to introducing students to statistical topics using real data, the book provides a gentle introduction to coding, having the students use the statistical language and software R. Students learn to load data, calculate summary statistics, create graphs and do statistical inference using R with either Windows or Macintosh machines.