An account of the history of statistics from the Fisher revolution to the computer revolution. This book sketches the careers, and highlights of the work of 65 people. It emphasises on the author's interaction with these people and includes personal anecdotes. These portraits provide a panoramic view of statistics during the period in question.

This relatively nontechnical book is the first account of the history of statistics from the Fisher revolution to the computer revolution. It sketches the careers, and highlights of some of the work, of 65 people, most of them statisticians. What gives the book its special character is its emphasis on the author's interaction with these people and the inclusion of many personal anecdotes. Combined, these portraits provide a panoramic view of statistics during the period in question. Included are discussions of such topics as nonparametrics, Bayesian approaches, and data analysis. The stress is on ideas and technical material is held to a minimum. Thus the book is accessible to anyone with at least an elementary background in statistics.

Mathematical preparation.- Becoming a statistican.- Early collaborators.- Mathematical statistics at other universities.- The annals.- The Berkeley statistics department I: establishment and first generation.- The Berkeley statistics department II: the second generation.- The Stanford statistics department.- Nonparametrics and robustness.- Foundations I: the frequentist approach.- Foundations II: Bayesianism and data analysis.- Statistics comes of age.- New tasks and relationships.- England.- Contacts abroad.