Summary: The preface reviels the scope of statistics as comprised of descriptive and inferential statistics, focusing on condensing data into frequency distributions and inferring population characteristics from samples. The interplay of sampling, reliability, and decision-making in inferential statistics is highlighted, emphasizing reliance on both statistical principles and subject matter understanding. The text underscores descriptive statistics' importance even amid modern statistical advances, cautioning against neglecting its significance. Statistical reasoning requisite both mathematical and substantive elements is emphasized, necessitated by the discrepancies between statistical formulas and actual social data. The complexities of association and correlation patterns in statistical analysis, like gender-delinquency connections and rent-delinquency correlations, are explored, stressing the need for methodological precision and contextual relevance when interpreting statistical relationships. The critical considerations in analyzing variations, variances, and standard deviations, like the criterion for arbitrary zeros, underscore the nuanced and methodical approach required in statistical reasoning. The chapter excerpts illustrate practical applications with tables and scenarios to illustrate these key statistical concepts effectively.