Simply put, Thinking Through Statistics is a primer on how to maintain rigorous data standards in social science work. But don’t let that daunt you. With clever examples and witty takeaways, John Levi Martin proves himself to be a most affable tour guide through these scholarly waters.

Martin lays out the fundamental vocabulary of sociological statistics—from probability to null models—and illustrates common pitfalls to avoid in quantitative research. He encourages readers to hunker down with the data, using a combination of visual models and simulations to outline the threats to accuracy and validity in a conventional researcher’s work. Thinking Through Statistics gives social science practitioners accessible insight into troves of wisdom that would normally have to be earned through arduous trial and error, and it does so with a lighthearted approach that ensures this field guide is anything but stodgy