Statistics in the 21st Century

Exactly what is the state of the art in statistics as we move forward into the 21st century? What promises, what trends does its future hold? Through the reflections of 70 of the world's leading statistical methodologists, researchers, theorists, and practitioners, Statistics in the 21st Century answers those questions.

Originally published in the Journal of the American Statistical Association, this collection of vignettes examines our statistical past, comments on our present, and speculates on our future. Although the coverage is broad and the topics diverse, it reveals the essential intellectual unity of the field as we see the same themes recurring in different contexts. We see how the development of statistics has been driven by the unprecedented and still growing range of applications, by the explosion in computer technology, and by the new types of data that continue to emerge and advance the discipline.

Organized around major areas of application and leading up to vignettes on theory and methods, Statistics in the 21st Century forms a landmark record of the progress and perceived future of the discipline. No student, researcher, or practitioner of statistics should miss this extraordinary opportunity to view the past, present, and future world of statistics through the eyes of its foremost thinkers.