I'm learning SAS this semester in school after already having learned SPSS and R in previous years. My professor failed to suggest a book for supplemental learning of SAS and so I purchased this one because I already own the book that these authors wrote for learning R and had loved it. The R book was clearly written, well organized, easy to follow, and even had information on statistics included rather than only the use of the software program.
When I received this book, I was disappointed in how difficult to read and poorly organized the initial chapters seemed to be. I can't fault the authors entirely as every book and website I have read concerning learning SAS has been just as bad. It's almost as if SAS told people if they wanted to write 'how to' sources on the program that they had to do so in a ridiculously convoluted way... possibly even required that they all had to do it in the same ridiculously convoluted way.
It took me 30+ minutes just to figure out how to import my data into SAS and call it because the book starts with how to manipulate data - you know, the data you don't have in the system yet because you haven't imported your data yet. When it does get around to telling you how to import, the book tells you about the different ways to import data but isn't clear on how you call the data set after you import it. Is the data automatically ready for use or do you have to save it? Do you call data differently if it is a data set imported to a library vs. manual entry vs. table entry? If you use two data sources at once are they both available at all times or do you have to switch between sets? When you say 'use the automated import function', where and how do you access that function and what are the steps involved to be sure I haven't missed anything important in the process (settings, etc.)?
These were just the initial issues I had with the book. It does seem to be thorough and have quite a bit of information in it, so I think the book could be useful for someone who has a small amount of cursory knowledge in using SAS to get them started. However, for a complete novice who isn't familiar with the language of SAS or the basics, the book can be frustrating and difficult to navigate.
Again, the R volume was not this difficult to navigate in my opinion and so my expectations were high with this book. But then, R also runs on Mac computers, is generally easier to use with drag and drop capabilities and intuitive function naming, and was taught in class more thoroughly by the professor so I also didn't have the difficulty getting started with the program as I did with SAS.
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Amazon Prime includes:
Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.
Amazon Prime members enjoy:- Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
- Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
- Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
- A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
- Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
- Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access
Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.
