While Applying Social Statistics is "about" social statistics and includes all of the topics generally covered in similar texts, it is first and foremost a book about how sociologists use statistics. Its emphasis is on statistical reasoning in sociology and on showing how these principles can be applied to numerous problems in a wide variety of contexts; to answer effectively the question "what's it for."A main learning objective is to help students understand how and why social statistics is used. Yet, Weinstein's style and substance recognize that it is of equal-or even greater-importance that they begin to learn how to apply these principles and techniques themselves.