Logistic Regression: A Primer

Trying to determine when to use a logistic regression and how to interpret the coefficients? Frustrated by the technical writing in other books on the topic? Pampel's book offers readers the first "nuts and bolts" approach to doing logistic regression through the use of careful explanations and worked out examples. Pampel first offers readers a review of some basic concepts, such as exponents, percentage change, and likelihood functions. Next, he describes in some detail how taking the log of the odds eliminates the floor so that the transformation of logistic regression coefficients into coefficients that effect odds and probabilities makes more sense to readers. And, third, he describes maximum likelihood estimation through words and simple samples (along side of the formulas) so as to make the concept more concrete and the procedure easier to comprehend. Throughout the book, he emphasizes examples, explanations, and how to interpret the results of each procedure. This book will enable readers to use and understand logistic regression techniques and will serve as a foundation for more advanced treatments of the topic.

About the Author
Fred C. Pampel (Ph.D., University of Illinois) is Professor of Sociology and Research Associate of the Institute of Behavior Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder. With John Williamson, he is the author of Age, Class, Politics, and the Welfare State and Old Age Security in Comparative Perspective. He has published numerous articles on topics relating to social policy, age structure, and pension spending, and is currently doing research on age differences in income inequality and mortality from suicide and homicide.