For the IDT 510 course, Research Practices in Instructional Design and Technology, one of the four required texts was Making Sense of Statistics: A Conceptual Overview by Fred Pyrczak.
I was nonplussed when an assignment was posted from this book, as there was no advance notice that we needed it, and it was not in the syllabus. So, I got on Amazon and had it shipped to the hotel I was in that week so I could get started on the assignments. There was no way to get around having the book, as there was a problem set quiz for each chapter that needed to be completed on a weekly basis.
On the plus side of this equation, it is a really easy to read book, and I had three semesters of statistics and an undergrad, so I got through everything ok. Also, there was almost no math involved, as it was more about statistical vocabulary, concepts, and relationships. The chapters were short, and the associated quizzes were pretty easy. I ended up speeding a few hours to go through the whole book (about 178 pages), and marked the answers on all of the quizzes so I would be able to better concentrate on other assignments that were coming up.
This book will not get the reader through a full-on statistics course, but it turned out to be perfect for giving students a general idea of statistics and terms as they are used in scientific research, so it served its purpose. I went ahead and held on to my copy, as I think it might come in handy if I need to brush up on statistics or if I need to explain some of these concepts to my kid as he goes through school.
Lastly, it was relatively cheap -- I think I paid $35 for a used copy of the 5th Edition, but there is now a 6th edition that include a basic math review booklet.
Pyrczak, F. (2010 or 2014). Making sense of statistics: A conceptual overview (5th edition). Glendale, CA: Pyrczak Publishing
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