With the release of version 7.0 of the SEM software Amos, I am now recommending those wanting to get started begin with the free student version of Amos. Amos is, in my view, by far the best software for getting familiar with SEMs quickly. The tutorial in the manual, as well as the examples in the manual, are excellent. Amos 7.0 now has enough capabilities to make it suitable for many folks needs, which is why I now recommend it.

I have now added the Amos programs for the examples in Appendix I of my book to this website. See, Examples/Software/Code.

I have recently added a considerable amount of material to my companion website. Included are a module called "SEM Essentials", a tutorial for getting started with the Amos software, and a significant number of other tutorials, with accompanying datasets and Amos programs. I recommend people check out this companion website for useful information