Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 26-30 of 88
 General intro to the application of data May 14, 2008
Ng Hon Ming (Hong Kong)
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
A brief glance on areas where data driven decision can be made. It is yet bounderyliness to apply but the art to drive such an initiative is still missing.
 Wow... ummmm... May 11, 2008
S. P. Hayes (Monterey, CA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Okay, got it, people are crunching large datasets to find answers to questions they didn't necessarily know to ask. After that, the book only provides a few interesting ideas buried in a sea of overly simplified generic stories. I was rather disappointed in finding the target audience was the general public and in finding no real depth in any particular topic. If you have any advanced studies in mathematics, definitely recommend against this book as you'll find yourself frustrated for the majority of the read. Oh well, at least another notch on my bookshelf.
 Not much new here. May 5, 2008
C. C. Madsen (Las Vegas, Nev.)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Super Crunchers: Why Thinking-by-Numbers Is the New Way to Be Smart
If you have ever taken a probability and/or statistics class, you won't find much new here.
If you are naïve or paranoid don't read this book. (As if you didn't know the government and business are busy collecting every bit of data about you.)
The main theme is the power of modern computers to crunch vast quantities of information and sometimes produce counter intuitive results. There are too many repetitive examples of data collection and number crunching. All in all, an easy read, but fairly shallow book.
 Fantastic! March 27, 2008
D. S. Long (Mexico, DF Mexico)
0 out of 5 found this review helpful
Supercrunchers is a very fun introduction to data mining and serious numerical analysis. It is light reading, and is filled with examples of current uses and results obtained throughout the world by churning large amounts of data. The book has examples from all industries, government and NGOs. It includes information on uses of data analysis for HR which is usually skimmed over. It fills you with ideas of further uses of data analysis and has info that is interesting for everyone. I couldn't stop talking about it for a week after I read it
Numbers Advice: Save Your Money March 27, 2008
Gunnar T. Sharp (Portland, Oregon)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
If you're looking for another "Freakanomics," you won't find it here.
SuperCrunchers doesn't deal with details or with the unexpected ways numbers can be used but rather sticks to broad abstract statements about a trend (hint: the use of statistics is on the rise).
Most of the book can be summed up in one sentence: The government and business are increasingly using statistics to predict behavior and increase sales.
Most people, I'm assuming, are already aware of this and won't be too surprised.
Most of the information you've probably already read about in the newspapers.
This book is riding on the popularity of "Freakanomics" and it seems to have been written in a hurry in order to publish while economics is "hot." It's more of chronicling than a well-thought out idea.
Here's some numbers advice: save your money.
Showing reviews 26-30 of 88
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