Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 21-25 of 27
 Turning Numbers into Smiles June 23, 2001
Kysa Alport (Portland, Oregon)
I read this book from beginning to end, chapter to chapter in three days. The writing is easy going and as if the author was speaking directly to me. If you are scared of math, numbers, statistics, don't let the title scare you. Instead welcome it with open arms because this book will give you a new head on your shoulders to solve those dreaded math problems, help your children with home their homework or tackle tasks in your career.
Excellent analytical techniques with pragmatic advice May 19, 2001
Georgetown Critic (Washington, DC)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Turning Numbers into Knowledge is an excellent guide to the kind of quantitative analysis that is often lacking from the important debates of our time. I encourage analysts of all kinds - business, academic, policy - to incorporate Koomey's suggestions in approaching their work. Students, too, can benefit from his practical blueprints for increasing the accuracy and efficiency of their work.
A survival guide for practitioners. A companion to advisors. May 15, 2001
Karina Garbesi, Asst. Professor (Berkeley, CA United States)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
Best Book on the Topic April 8, 2001
Marja Mogk (Berkeley, CA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
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.
It's Invaluable and Fun! April 7, 2001
John J. Berger, Ph.D. (El Cerrito, CA USA)
14 out of 16 found this review helpful
Turning Numbers Into Knowledge deals with the fundamentals of analysis, research, and problem solving, not with their fashionable technical adornments. It is a tremendous resource for anyone wanting to critically review anything from costly, technical studies to everyday rhetorical argument. The adjectives that came to my mind as I read Turning Numbers Into Knowledge were, "Engaging, comprehensive, down-to-Earth, well-researched, well-written, well-planned, well-documented, creative, helpful, entertaining, filled with useful resource material, user-friendly, personal, witty, and wise." Whereas I had anticipated a ponderous technical tract, Turning Numbers Into Knowledge entertainingly deals with problem solving and analysis in its broadest context, including the often-ignored yet critical human elements. Because of its breadth, I can scarcely think of any scientist, social scientist, student, researcher, writer, or policy analyst who could not benefit from this book. Its lessons are brought home with cleverly chosen anecdotes and lucid examples. The reader is rewarded frequently with wonderful quotations and great cartoons. What Koomey says about use of the Internet, web sites, and information dissemination over the Internet also has valuable implications for modern administrators, project managers, and executive directors whose organizational management responsibilities increasingly include management and dissemination of information. As with other classics, I expect Turning Numbers Into Knowledge to be in print for a long time and would not be surprised to see students a generation from now relying on a future edition. Jon Koomey is a hard worker, clear thinker, and has produced an extraordinarily useful book that will help the practitioners of science, research, policy analysis, and journalism in the pursuit of truth.
Showing reviews 21-25 of 27
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