Rating: 
Summary: Great treatise on critical thinking and organization
Review: "Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" should be required reading for anyone engaged in producing, reading, or analysing information. Based on the title one might assume that I mean numerical information, but that is not the case at all. The basic principles, such as how to sift through information and the importance of documentation of sources, are important parts of any information product. In fact, except for the sections on graphs, tables, normalizing data and a few others, the rest of the book (fully at least three quarters of it) is dedicated to determining what constitutes good information, good techniques, good analysis, good documentation, etc. This is a book on problem solving techniques and analysis of the information products of others.Filled with useful tools and tips for problem solving under real-life situations it is one of the most useful books available. "Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" is a masterful work in the area of critical analysis and a highly recommended read for anyone involved in creating or using information of any kind.
Rating:
Summary: Great treatise on critical thinking and organization
Review: "Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" should be required reading for anyone engaged in producing, reading, or analysing information. Based on the title one might assume that I mean numerical information, but that is not the case at all. The basic principles, such as how to sift through information and the importance of documentation of sources, are important parts of any information product. In fact, except for the sections on graphs, tables, normalizing data and a few others, the rest of the book (fully at least three quarters of it) is dedicated to determining what constitutes good information, good techniques, good analysis, good documentation, etc. This is a book on problem solving techniques and analysis of the information products of others. Filled with useful tools and tips for problem solving under real-life situations it is one of the most useful books available. "Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" is a masterful work in the area of critical analysis and a highly recommended read for anyone involved in creating or using information of any kind.
Rating:
Summary: Great treatise on critical thinking and organization
Review: "Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" should be required reading for anyone engaged in producing, reading, or analysing information. Based on the title one might assume that I mean numerical information, but that is not the case at all. The basic principles, such as how to sift through information and the importance of documentation of sources, are important parts of any information product. In fact, except for the sections on graphs, tables, normalizing data and a few others, the rest of the book (fully at least three quarters of it) is dedicated to determining what constitutes good information, good techniques, good analysis, good documentation, etc. This is a book on problem solving techniques and analysis of the information products of others. Filled with useful tools and tips for problem solving under real-life situations it is one of the most useful books available. "Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" is a masterful work in the area of critical analysis and a highly recommended read for anyone involved in creating or using information of any kind.
Rating:
Summary: Turning Numbers Into Knowledge
Review: A great book! Koomey uses quantitative data analysis only as a starting point; no in-depth knowledge of statistics is required to enjoy this book and learn from it. The main emphasis is on the art of data interpretation. Now that you have the charts, graphs, and correlation matrixes how do you draw meaningful conclusion from the numbers? While much of the process of turning data into knowledge is indeed an art, it behooves the practitioner to follow a scientific methodology in the process. This is where the book excels; it establishes a clear guideline (one could even say a methodology) for critical thinking that is applicable to every step in the process of qualitatively interpreting quantitative data. The book covers the range from raising the awareness of how personal bias and value systems might color (or even guide) the data collection and subsequent interpretation all the way to sound advice to presenting your own findings effectively and honestly. Aside from the interpretation of data the book also covers the creative process in designing experiments, building models, and the data collection process. The book is very well organized into mostly self-contained chapters that address all the major steps and issues in the process of distilling knowledge from numbers. The book is also peppered with pithy (but appropriate!) quotes from famous people that summarize the point covered. This book should be equally appealing to social scientists, engineers, and natural scientist, as well as anybody who appreciates clear thinking. After reading this book it will be much harder for anyone to "pull the wool over your eyes."
Rating:
Summary: Turning Numbers Into Knowledge
Review: A great book! Koomey uses quantitative data analysis only as a starting point; no in-depth knowledge of statistics is required to enjoy this book and learn from it. The main emphasis is on the art of data interpretation. Now that you have the charts, graphs, and correlation matrixes how do you draw meaningful conclusion from the numbers? While much of the process of turning data into knowledge is indeed an art, it behooves the practitioner to follow a scientific methodology in the process. This is where the book excels; it establishes a clear guideline (one could even say a methodology) for critical thinking that is applicable to every step in the process of qualitatively interpreting quantitative data. The book covers the range from raising the awareness of how personal bias and value systems might color (or even guide) the data collection and subsequent interpretation all the way to sound advice to presenting your own findings effectively and honestly. Aside from the interpretation of data the book also covers the creative process in designing experiments, building models, and the data collection process. The book is very well organized into mostly self-contained chapters that address all the major steps and issues in the process of distilling knowledge from numbers. The book is also peppered with pithy (but appropriate!) quotes from famous people that summarize the point covered. This book should be equally appealing to social scientists, engineers, and natural scientist, as well as anybody who appreciates clear thinking. After reading this book it will be much harder for anyone to "pull the wool over your eyes."
Rating:
Summary: Best Book on the Topic
Review: Beautifully written, with loads of excellent tips, entertaining quotes and cartoons, Koomey's book is the best I've found on the topic. He's smart but not pedantic, a natural teacher who has figured out exactly what we need to know in order to maximize real world critical thinking skills on the fly. He explains everything clearly and easily, without dumbing it down. Plus, he weaves in key time management and organizational lessons that other books focus on exclusively. An invaluable tool for the toolbox.
Rating:
Summary: The treatment for information overload
Review: Computers and the Internet are deluging us with information. Jon Koomey's book provides the best set of tools and techniques I've encountered for managing the growing information overload we all face. Dr. Koomey richly illustrates these techniques with practical real-world examples making them accessible to knowledge workers at all levels. I recommend this book to my students at MIT and I recommend it to anyone who needs to make efficient and effective use of data.
Rating:
Summary: A survival guide for practitioners. A companion to advisors.
Review: Delivered with great clarity and ample wit, Dr. Koomey's book is a survival manual for any professional needing to access, organize, and synthesize large volumes of information and to present persuasive quantitative arguments. A valuable reference for both practitioner and advisor, Turning Numbers into Knowledge is a delightful compilation of the sage advice all seasoned experts of resource analysis would like to impart to their students. University faculty will find it an excellent reference for senior seminars and graduate and honors thesis classes in quantitative and interdisciplinary fields.
Rating:
Summary: A Clear and Concise Guide for Critical Thinkers
Review: Dr. Koomey presents an excellent, concise, comprehensive, and extremely well written compilation of guidelines, common sense, and "rules of behavior" for analysts and anyone interested in critical thinking, performing evaluations, and/or engaged in public presentations, written or oral. In particular, this book should be a "must" read for those entering the teaching and research professions. I wish it had been available prior to my professional career.
Rating:
Summary: TNIK: For scientists & non-scientists alike
Review: I began to enjoy the book almost from the very beginning, the writing style is easy to follow, and its explanations are straight to the point. Non-scientists & scientists alike will find useful:
1) the methods and ideas for analyzing and testing for plausibility the everyday information encountered in the media,
pointers to finding logical flaws in arguments, and common tricks used by presenters in order to be ambiguous or downright deceptive.
2) simple methods of keeping facts at your fingertips
3) the chapters on life improvement and work-efficiency which made this book pay for itself in a matter of days.
4) helpful links to the Internet and to other books. Scientists and Engineers in particular will find useful
· The back-of-the-envelope numerical methods. Many sci/engs do not use them enough.
· The description of the scientific process, of which they are (often unconsciously) a part.
· Suggestions on efficient, non-sloppy data analysis. The examples on data analysis are somewhat geared to the field of Energy Analysis, but easy to understand and generalize; in the process I learnt something about that field.
· suggestions for clear, concise presentation of text and figures during presentation of results. This is also a good book to lend to a student intern or new employee to teach them back of the envelope statistical methods, how to get organized, and good habits, both organizational and data-analysis wise.
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