Biometry book reference I am looking for a book to teach very simple and applied stats (a first class about descriptive and inferential stats). I previously used the book : "Introductory Probability and Statistics: Applications for Forestry and the Natural Sciences
Kozak, A.; Kozak, R. A.; Staudhammer, C. L.; Watts, S. B."
While the book was great as it covers the material and has a few applied examples, I find that the questions and practice problems in the book were very academic (questions with dice, and such). My class was meant for students who will not be statisticians but technicians in wildlife managment/biology.
They enjoy real life situations problems. Does anyone know a book covering the same material, but with more real life situations?
 A: I have often used Pagano and Gauvreau for such a course. 
The topics are about right, the level is pre-calculus,
the data are real, and the authors are practicing 
statisticians in the Harvard med and publish health schools. 
Possible
disadvantages: data are mostly heealth/medical and
not much forestry/ecology. Also, there are no key
formulas in boxes; the author's approach seems to be
to get students to think the process through each time.
Also, you may not find quite enough basic drill 
exercises. You may want to get some data of your
own in various fields, make your own list of formulas
for review, and make up a some numerical drill problems.
I have also used Daniel's book. Some realistic data,
but maybe no actual real data. (He told me once that
he simulated some of the data as normal based on
published $\bar X$'s and sample SD's.) It has been
through several editions, but even recently little trace of computer
use. Also, I found the arrangement of topics (separating
tests and CIs) to be frustrating. Still, it's at the right level and maathematically
correct. 
Over many years I have tried a variety of other texts
before I retired to teaching only stat grad courses part time.
Maybe something wonderful has come onto the market in the
last couple of years, but the two books I mentioned above are
the only ones I know of that I would ever use again for beginning
undergrads with majors outside of statistics.
There is a very nice elementary book by Dalgaard, but it's main goal
is to teach basics of statistical analysis with R software. Real bio/medical
data. First-rate statistical consultant/ analyst/ programmer.
For the right students, I'd use it without hesitation, but
from what you say I don't guess it's right for your classes.
