Understanding statistics is more important than ever. Statistical operations are the basis for decision making in fields from business to academia. However, many statistics courses are taught in cookbook fashion, with an emphasis on a bewildering array of tests, techniques, and software applications. In this course, part one of a series, Joseph Schmuller teaches the fundamental concepts of descriptive and inferential statistics and shows you how to apply them using Microsoft Excel. He explains how to organize and present data and how to draw conclusions from data using Excel's functions, calculations, and charts, as well as the free and powerful Excel Analysis ToolPak. The objective is for the learner to fully understand and apply statistical concepts—not to just blindly use a specific statistical test for a particular type of data set. Joseph uses Excel as a teaching tool to illustrate the concepts and increase understanding, but all you need is a basic understanding of algebra to follow along.