Mathematical Statistics with Applications Description:

Mathematical Statistics with Applications review:
5 stars (Good text overall) - In my opinion this is one of the best texts for introductory statistics. It contains a lot of useful material and is nice to read quickly since important formulas are highlighted. Examples are also helpful to learn the material. The only problem is that sometimes the excercises are too much of a real-world kind, which can be annoying if your course is theoretical. Still, I think that this book is always nice to have around in case you forget some things on probability or stats.
2 stars (Look elsewhere if you're looking for a rigorous text.) - If you like applications and problem sloving, pick it up--it's loaded with it. But if you're looking for a book with a strong theoretical foundation, look elsewhere. Quite often my professor would see it fit to do a "more general case" or a "more rigorous proof." I found the examples and motivations to be weak and not very helpful, and the proofs to be kind of a joke. I often felt like I was reading a freshman calculus book while reading this one, as it's been a while since I read a math text that hi-lited definitions and theorems...
3 stars (This book is more theoretical.) - This book simply does not have enough worked out examples. This book is more theoretical than applied. I personally favor applied books more. I purchased Probability for Risk Management by Hassett and it is a lot more "hands on." It explains what you need to know in a few paragraphs whereas Wackerly takes pages to say the same thing. Granted, if you're looking more for theory, go with Wackerly's Mathematical Statistics. If you're looking to pass an actuarial exam, Hassett is undoubtedly the way to go.