Regression, a Friendly Guide

Matthew Rudd
  • ISBN 9781617298950
  • 375 pages (estimated)
We regret that we will not be publishing this title.
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A friendly, fun guide to making accurate predictions and revealing relationships in your data using linear and logistic regression.

In Regression, a Friendly Guide you will learn how to:

  • Pick the right regression model
  • Forecast sales, customer acquisition, or customer influences using linear regression
  • Analyze customer churn and marketing strategies using logistic regression
  • Model monthly subscriptions or identify profitable startups by sector using count regression
  • Interpret the assumptions, structure, and assessment of regression models
  • Effectively select variables and specify models
  • Simulate outcomes and resample data for modeling and assessment

Regression, a Friendly Guide teaches you how to predict future outcomes and understand important relationships in your data using regression. This easy-to-read book is written for readers who don’t have an advanced math background. It introduces essential concepts and notation step-by-step, with plenty of entertaining and concrete examples. You’ll progress from the basics to advanced models that are perfect for handling messy or unstructured data. As you absorb the lucid explanations and complete the exercises, you’ll build a real intuition for regression. You’ll understand how your models work and develop the tools and vocabulary to explain why their predictions are accurate.

about the technology

Regression models are tools for exploring relationships in data. They see heavy use in data science for making predictions, measuring growth, and analyzing probabilities. A proper understanding of how regression models work will ensure you can make and defend sound data-driven decisions.

about the book

Regression, a Friendly Guide teaches you to build, assess, and interpret regression models. In each chapter, new modelling paradigms are introduced with simple language and illustrative examples. You’ll steadily build up your theoretical understanding until you can intuitively interpret abstract regression models and their underlying mathematics.

You won’t need any graduate math knowledge to get started, as you explore relevant real-world examples taken from politics, building science, medicine, and other industries. Start off by building linear and logistic regression models with one or more variables, and master regression for count models. Learn to use simulation methods to assess your models, and discover advanced techniques like generalized additive models, penalty methods, and quantile regression. You’ll even learn how to interpret your models and findings for non-technical coworkers, to ensure your whole organization is making reliable decisions driven by accurate analysis.

about the reader

For working data professionals and students who know some basic statistics and want to expand their understanding of regression. Easy-to-understand Python code demonstrates techniques you can use with any language.

about the author

Matthew Rudd is a mathematician fascinated by statistical modeling, data analysis, and the tensions between theory, practice, and interpretability in data science. He teaches mathematics and statistics at Sewanee (The University of the South), a liberal arts college in Tennessee.

Highly recommended for every aspiring data scientist, experienced in the industry or not.

Amaresh Rajasekharan

Dr. Rudd's approach to explaining regression analysis is practical, engaging, and uses freely available software.

Joe Ivans

A very good book that thoroughly explains some fairly complicated material in an understandable way.

Ed Keeton

A solid resource for those looking to learn more about foundational data analysis in Python.

Jessie Daubner