Turning Numbers Into Knowledge - 3rd Edition by Jonathan Garo Koomey (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This book (intended for beginning analysts, students, and the people training them) bridges general business problem solving and mathematics for improved effectiveness in work and life. Full of tools for solving real-world problems, this new edition is an ideal training manual for those who are intimidated by quantitative analysis and an excellent refresher for those looking to improve the quality of their data, the clarity of their graphics, and the cogency of their arguments. In addition to numerous updates--references, URLs, and reading lists--this third edition includes revised chapters and many new and updated examples. Mastering the art of problem solving takes more than proficiency with basic calculations; it requires understanding how people use information, recognizing the importance of ideology, learning the art of storytelling, and acknowledging the important distinction between facts and values. This beginner's guide addresses these and other essential skills.

Review Quotes

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


"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, Yale-NUS College

"The greatest challenge facing educators, institutions, and businesses is the inculcation of rigor and fact-based analysis into the psyches of future leaders. Turning Numbers into Knowledge is the tool for organizations to accomplish this essential task." --Ephraim Heller, founder, Therasense, Inc., Angioscore Inc, and SynAgile Inc.

"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

"This book is a great tool for improving your own use of numbers and for seeing through the smoke screens of others." --Lee Schipper, PhD, formerly senior scientist, International Energy Agency

"This outstanding book teaches the tricks of the analytical trade. There's no better guide to learning how to use numbers to understand the world."--Art Rosenfeld, Professor Emeritus of Physics, University of California at Berkeley

About the Author

Dr. Jonathan Koomey is a lecturer at Stanford University. His academic work, summarized in nine books and more than 200 articles, spans engineering, economics, public policy, and environmental science. Dr. John P. Holdren was Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Co-Chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in the Obama administration. Before that he was a professor and program director at Harvard University and Woods Hole Research Center. His awards include a MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship and the John Heinz Prize in Public Policy, among others. He returned to Harvard as a professor in 2017.