[arakyd]

Second the idea that a lot of statisticians don't know what they're doing. The first mistake is to make things easier by glossing over, or mangling, the mathematical details. Many statistics textbooks do this, and the only real protection is to have a good math background. The second mistake is to treat statistics like a bunch of techniques to be learned and applied with little regard for the philosophical problems inherent in every attempt to model the real world.

The Cartoon Guide to Statistics is an excellent way to go from zero to a good overview of the basics with a minimum of hard math. After that, if you're mostly interested in applying basic techniques to your own stuff, you want a good undergrad textbook. I don't have any good recommendations here, unfortunately. If you have a good math background (or are motivated to get it) and you want to keep going, Statistical Models; Theory and Practice by David A. Freedman (http://www.amazon.com/review/R2XUNM92KYU7BB) has the math, the philosophy, the hands on analysis of studies, and the exercises to put you in a better position to evaluate statistical research than some people who produce it.