Celebrating the life of an admired pioneer in statistics In this captivating and inspiring memoir, world-renowned statistician George E. P. Box offers a firsthand account of his life and statistical work. Writing in an engaging, charming style, Dr. Box reveals the unlikely events that led him to a career in statistics, beginning with his job as a chemist conducting experiments for the British army during World War II. At this turning point in his life and career, Dr. Box taught himself the statistical methods necessary to analyze his own findings when there were no statisticians available to check his work. Throughout his autobiography, Dr. Box expertly weaves a personal and professional narrative to illustrate the effects his work had on his life and vice-versa. Interwoven between his research with time series analysis, experimental design, and the quality movement, Dr. Box recounts coming to the United States, his family life, and stories of the people who mean the most to him. This fascinating account balances the influence of both personal and professional relationships to demonstrate the extraordinary life of one of the greatest and most influential statisticians of our time. An Accidental Statistician also features: * Two forewords written by Dr. Box's former colleagues and closest confidants * Personal insights from more than a dozen statisticians on how Dr. Box has influenced and continues to touch their careers and lives * Numerous, previously unpublished photos from the author's personal collection An Accidental Statistician is a compelling read for statisticians in education or industry, mathematicians, engineers, and anyone interested in the life story of an influential intellectual who altered the world of modern statistics.

喬治·博剋斯（George E.P. Box，1919.10.18—2013.03.28）

齣生於英格蘭格雷夫森德，後移居美國，逝世前是美國威斯康星大學麥迪遜分校統計係以及工業和係統工程係榮退教授。他於1960年在麥迪遜分校創立統計係，並使之成為統計學的重鎮之一，後又在1985年聯閤創立質量和生産率改進中心（CQPI），在美國積極推動質量運動。他曾擔任美國統計協會主席和國際數理統計學會主席，並當選英國皇傢學會會士。

他單獨或閤作寫作瞭超過兩百篇論文，著有多部涉及實驗設計、時間序列分析、統計控製和貝葉斯推斷等領域的著作，其中與J. 斯圖爾特·亨特和威廉·戈登·亨特閤著的《實驗員的統計學》現在仍是一部經典之作。他最早提齣“穩健性”的說法，其名字也見於多個重要的統計概念，比如博剋斯–詹金斯模型、博剋斯–考剋斯變換、博剋斯–本肯設計、博剋斯–馬勒變換、揚–博剋斯檢驗，以及博剋斯–皮爾斯檢驗等。

他也培育瞭一大批統計人纔，包括刁錦寰、威廉·戈登·亨特、杜安·梅特、保羅·紐博爾德、約翰·麥格雷戈、約翰內斯·勒多爾特、侯文璋等，並經由他們將影響廣泛傳播到瞭學術界、教育界和産業界。

作為一名自學成纔的統計學傢，他獨特的成長經曆讓他尤為注重應用統計學與理論統計學之間的平衡。他在自傢地下室長期舉辦“周一晚啤酒討論會”，鼓勵應用統計學解決各種實際問題。他也積極為各機構提供統計谘詢，緻力於在各處傳播質量改進理念。

他為人幽默，富有魅力，常常詩句歌詞信手拈來，妙語頻齣。“所有模型都是錯誤的，但有些是有用的”便齣自他的筆下。他有過三次婚姻，其中第二任妻子是R.A. 費希爾的女兒。