Hi!I am looking for an introductory book for SAS programming and Statistics. Right now I am using Applied Statistics and the SAS Programming Language by Ronald Cody and Jeffery Smith, and the Little SAS book by Lora Delwiche and Susan Slaughter. Cody and Smith's book is pratical and I am looking for other books to use.Thanks

Along the same lines, I'm a "rookie" quant and use Minitab and Excel for most of my basic computer work. Can anybody suggest which software (Matlab, Mathematica, SAS, S-plus) is best for a quant mostly involved with equity modelling? Or are these packages "overkill" for me. I also need brushing up on my mathematical skills and wondered if software can help get back up to speed. (probabilities, permutations) or is a basic hp48g+ enough...thanks in advance.P.S. Received Wilmott mag yesterday and could'nt put it down. Bravo!

I highly recommend S-Plus or its similar open-source alternative R. Both platformas have tons of ad-ons functions and routines.

How or where do you guys use SAS. Its pretty expensive to own a personal copy. Even if at a school, you sometimes have to pay a big fat license fee if you want to use it.What's the deal, anybody?

I recommend R also (www.r-project.org). Apart from the program a lot of documentation/links for documentation can be found there.Personally i mostly use SAS at work and the SAS onlnine documentation which comes in a Cd with the program is proven very helpful. It contains brief theoretical reviews and a respectable number of examples. Whatever technique you are going to use SAS online doc should be consulted first and then if needed one may proceed to more focused books usually published by the SAS institute.

QuoteOriginally posted by: ayalanyHow or where do you guys use SAS. Its pretty expensive to own a personal copy. Even if at a school, you sometimes have to pay a big fat license fee if you want to use it.What's the deal, anybody?I have a chance to intern with a financial institution and tomorrow is my last day. The department makes many credit decision on statistical models so SAS play a major role at my work place. I am reading "Applied Statistics and SAS programming" by Coby and Smith. It uses very simple example to help me,a beginner,learn SAS. The first few chapters already cover most of what I have been doing on my job. Many schools use SAS in their MBA programs or some departments and often time you can get a particular version of the software for under $50 from school computer store only if you registered the class. downside is users need to renew the licence every semester. However, if you are faculty who has department licence to purchase the software for $75 from the store and the software does not have expiration date.

I used SAS for my M.Sc.F. at GWU. My advice on SAS: run away! Spend your time mastering C++ and matlab or mathmatica unless you absolutely have to use SAS. JMHO. Sorry SAS folks, but there it is. - JamesP.S. chentail, the books you have are about the best ones there are, IMO. - J.