R help - Jun 2009 - off topic but need your pointers about statistics

Hi all,

I apologize for this off-topic question but I need your help -- I know
there are lots of experts here.

As a lover and student of statistics, I am thinking of building a tree
of various branches of statistics and keeping track of the greatest
historical inventions/discoveries in statistics and the latest
development of each branch. The goal is to understand in what context
did the great inventions come out and then try to follow the greatest
minds in terms of creating future significant inventions/discoveries
in the statistics field... This is the "learn-from-the-greatest-minds"
approach.

Could anybody give me some pointers about existing books/articles
about the greatest inventions/discoveries in statistics? And topic
list?

Thanks a lot!

agresti's book ( forget which one. there are two ) has an appendix about the
   history of categorical data that i remember being quite interesting.
that's
   the only one i know of.

   On Jun 18, 2009, Michael <comtech.usa at gmail.com> wrote:

     Hi all,
     I apologize for this off-topic question but I need your help -- I know
     there are lots of experts here.
     As a lover and student of statistics, I am thinking of building a tree
     of various branches of statistics and keeping track of the greatest
     historical inventions/discoveries in statistics and the latest
     development of each branch. The goal is to understand in what context
     did the great inventions come out and then try to follow the greatest
     minds in terms of creating future significant inventions/discoveries
     in the statistics field... This is the
"learn-from-the-greatest-minds"
     approach.
     Could anybody give me some pointers about existing books/articles
     about the greatest inventions/discoveries in statistics? And topic
     list?
     Thanks a lot!
     ______________________________________________
     [1]R-help at r-project.org mailing list
     [2]https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
     PLEASE do read the posting guide
     [3]http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
     and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.

References

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   3. http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html

> Could anybody give me some pointers about existing books/articles
> about the greatest inventions/discoveries in statistics? And topic
> list?
You could have a look at

http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Tasting-Tea-Statistics-Revolutionized/dp/0805071342/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245356064&sr=8-1

Graham

Michael wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I apologize for this off-topic question but I need your help -- I know
> there are lots of experts here.
> 
> As a lover and student of statistics, I am thinking of building a tree
> of various branches of statistics and keeping track of the greatest
> historical inventions/discoveries in statistics and the latest
> development of each branch. The goal is to understand in what context
> did the great inventions come out and then try to follow the greatest
> minds in terms of creating future significant inventions/discoveries
> in the statistics field... This is the
"learn-from-the-greatest-minds"
> approach.
> 
> Could anybody give me some pointers about existing books/articles
> about the greatest inventions/discoveries in statistics? And topic
> list?
> 
> Thanks a lot!
> 
Well, good starting points might be

Heyde and Seneta, Statisticians of the Centuries
Stigler, History of Statistics

The preface to Heyde and Seneta can be seen on Google books and possibly 
on Amazon and gives a number of recent references.

David Scott


_________________________________________________________________
David Scott	Department of Statistics
		The University of Auckland, PB 92019
		Auckland 1142,    NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 9 923 5055, or +64 9 373 7599 ext 85055
Email:	d.scott at auckland.ac.nz,  Fax: +64 9 373 7018

Graduate Officer, Department of Statistics
Director of Consulting, Department of Statistics

Alan Izenman suggests:


     I have lots of places worth checking out for him.  It means a lot 
of reading.

     Probably the first (and best) place to start is the set of Springer 
books entitled "Breakthroughs in Statistics," which was edited by Kotz
&
Johnson.  There' are three (3) volumes: 1 (1992, corrected edition 
2008), 2 (1993), and III (1997).  He should remember that the choices of 
breakthroughs are those of the editors, and may not be others' choices. 
  These volumes should lead him in all sorts of directions.  Each 
chapter in each of these volumes contains the original paper with an 
introduction as to its significance.

     His project is bordering on the history of statistics, for which 
there are many (many!) books to consult.  If he needs further direction, 
let him contact me.

     Best,
     Alan.