Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0801844436, Paperback)

"The book is indeed a classic. Virtually every philosopher of science now writing about probabilistic inference has been influenced by Edwards' book, and his ideas are now as alive and relevant as they were when the book first appeared. Edwards is an absolutely seminal thinker in the foundations of statistics and scientific inference." -- Elliott Sober, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"Full of appropriate examples (especially from genetics) and historical commentary, this monograph offers a rare simultaneous treatment of both mathematical and philosophical foundations." -- American Mathematical Monthly.

This new and expanded edition of A. W. F. Edwards' classic volume on scientific inference presents his most important published articles on the subject. Edwards argues that the appropriate axiomatic basis for inductive inference is not that of probability, with its addition axiom, but that of likelihood, the concept introduced by Fisher as a measure of relative support among different hypotheses. Starting from the simplest considerations and assuming no more than a basic acquaintancewith probability theory, the author sets out to reconstruct a consistent theory of statistical inference in science. Using the likelihood approach, he explores estimation, tests of significance, randomization, experimental design, and other statistical topics. Likelihood is important reading for students and professionals in biology, mathematical sciences, and philosophy.

"This book is commended to all philosophers of science who are interested in the problems of scientific inference." -- Search.

"This book, by a well-known geneticist, will do much to publicize the generality of the likelihood method as a foundation for statistical procedure. It is both smoothly written and persuasive." -- Operations Research.

"Likelihood is an important text and, in addition, is a joy to read, being a paragon of lucid and witty exposition." -- Mathematical Gazette