Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36154 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 247 pages

Review
"As information becomes ever cheaper, Dr. Koomey's book becomes ever more valuable. Masterful!" -- Erik Brynjolfsson, professor, Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

A great tool for improving your own use of numbers AND for seeing through the smoke screens of others. -- Lee Schipper, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, International Energy Agency

Here at last is the definitive guide for beating information overload. This remarkable book will empower both professionals and neophytes. -- Professor John Harte, Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley

This book is a terrific resource for students, and an essential aid for researchers, from undergraduates on up. Required reading! -- Professor Eban Goodstein, Department of Economics, Lewis and Clark College

This splendidly clear and concise introduction to the craft should be a foundation of every student's apprenticeship. -- Amory B. Lovins, Co-CEO (Research), Rocky Mountain Institute

Review
"There is nothing else like this book out there. Nobody who deals with problems where numbers matter — and everybody in today’s world really needs to — should be without it."  —John P. Holdren, past president, American Association for the Advancement of Science, from the Foreword

"A lively, well-written, attractively packaged book on the art of critical thinking."  —Skeptical Inquirer

"Dr. Koomey's book deserves to be widely read and shared, especially by those who take seriously the fragile yet critical role of an informed citizenry in increasingly complex democratic societies."  —Professor Michael Maniates, Allegheny College

From the Author
This book grew out of my experience in training analysts whom I've hired in the past decade. It is written for beginning problem solvers in business, government, consulting, and research professions, and for students of business and public policy. It is also intended for supervisors of such analysts, professors, and entrepreneurs (who may not consider themselves analysts but who need to create analyses to justify their business plans to potential investors). Finally, it covers many topics that journalists who focus on scientific or business topics will find useful.

I’ve included cartoons and other amusing graphics, as well as quotes and examples galore. The chapters are short and to the point, with plenty of further reading in the back for readers who want to explore further. I hope that any person who takes an intelligent interest in the world will enjoy it and find it useful.

Customer Reviews

Huh? What am I missing? This is all so basic!
I bought this book due to the overwhelmingly positive reviews - thought it would really get into the meat of the issue and provide some creative insight. What a disappointment! It is very user-friendly...to the point of being almost insulting at times...very rudimentary. Provides little insight into anything new and is really just a primer. It may be good for college freshment or HS students that need an intro into problem solving via "numbers" or those seeking a quick refresher but for anyone who has ever worked with even basic research (of any type...business, science, economics) skip - it will bore you to tears. In places it is downright silly and I honestly can't understand how it obtained the reviews it did.

Excellent Book on Problem Solving
This is an excellent book. Focused more on the overall art of problem solving as opposed to specific problem-solving techniques/algorithms, this is one of those rare books that can change the way you approach a general discipline...that of problem solving in this case.

The organization of the book, the level of detail into which each section delves and the overall pace of the writing are all well-suited for a general reading audience. For those readers interested in specific algorithms related to problem solving, Numerical Recipes 3rd Edition: The Art of Scientific Computing may represent a better choice.

I highly recommend this book to all readers interested in problem solving in general.

The Second Book on Research for Every Researcher
Every researcher's first reference book is a comprehensive treatment of the methods, designs and analysis strategies needed for their discipline. This book is a complement rather than a substitute for such a basic research reference. It covers the tactics, organizational strategies--even attitudes--that are needed on a practical level to get research done.

I suggest using this book to do a quick "needs analysis" of your research style. Turn to the Preface and read through the annotated table of contents to identify the research tactic you most need to improve. (Mine was "Establish a Filing System.") You can assimilate the corresponding chapter in a few minutes and begin improving your skills.

With 38 different chapters covering topics that range from overcoming "Beginner's Mind" to "Use the Internet" there is something for every researcher. I can envision an undergraduate research methods professor leading beginning researchers through a needs assessment discussion and assigning them to both remediate their top weakness and sharpen their top strength--knowing all the time that many will be enticed into reading most of the other chapters, too. (I can also imagine a surly senior professor hurling it at his new research assistant with "Don't bother me until you have read this!" I suppose that teaching strategy would work, too. But I won't recommend it.)

The chapters are well organized and easy to learn from. Resources include both recommended books for in-depth exploration of each topic and a large number of relevant web sites for fast-click discovery. The book's own web site is a great place to start.

A great resource to sharpen your research abilities and an enjoyable read, this book is worth its place on your bookshelf.