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Amanda Luzzader
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Newsflash: the world runs on data now. Every business, government agency, and nonprofit organization is fueled by the data it collects and receives. If you didn’t know that, it’s time you found out. And if you already knew it but have yet to transform into a data nerd, it’s time you got started! Whether you’re an owner, manager, or a humble cog in an organizational machine, the more you know about data and the better you understand it, the better positioned you’ll be to achieve success.
To get you started, here are six audiobooks (all available from Audible.com) that will place you on a path to data mastery. These books cover a wide range of topics within the world of data and statistics, including but not limited to data analytics (finding meaning in raw data using specialized programs or systems), data mining (extracting new information from existing databases), and the demystification of data, statistics, and analysis. All six books are (1) relatively recent (2014 and later), (2) ranked at 4.0 stars or better on Amazon and Audible, and (3) written for the aspiring data nerd. They’re listed below by ranking.
Written and narrated by Tim Harford (10 hours and 24 minutes)4.7 out of 5 stars (525 ratings)
General overview: There’s no need to be wary or frightened of statistics and data, says foremost economics and statistics author Tim Harford. In fact, in many cases, statistics and data are the only way to understand what’s going on around us. So, embrace your inner statistician and sit back while Harford untangles the unintelligible.
Written and narrated by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic (5 hours and 43 minutes)4.6 out of 5 stars (2,697 ratings)
General overview: Even though storytelling isn’t a talent possessed by everyone, this book seeks to take you from simply displaying your data to telling stories with it instead. More than just a tutorial on how to create pie-charts, Storytelling with Data claims it can “turn your data into high impact visual stories that stick with your audience.”
Written by Foster Provost and Tom Fawcett, narrated by Benjamin Lange (12 hours and 46 minutes)4.5 out of 5 stars (846 ratings)
General overview: From data science experts Foster Provost and Tom Fawcett, this book seeks to help you: (1) understand how data science fits into your business and how it can give you a competitive advantage, (2) treat data as a business asset with real value, (3) approach your business problems with data analytics, and (4) use data mining in your organization.
Written by Charles Wheelan, narrated by Jonathan Davis (10 hours, 48 minutes)4.3 out of 5 stars (3,197 ratings)
General overview: A New York Times bestseller, this book uses crisp and entertaining prose to cut through the dread and dizzying tedium of data by illuminating and explaining the data we encounter every day: batting averages, political polls, medical research, and even the data behind the movie recommendations you receive from Netflix.
Written by Bernard Marr, narrated by Piers Wehner (6 hours and 25 minutes)4.2 out of 5 (187 ratings)
General overview: Implement practices used by successful firms into your organization with this audiobook. Clear examples and case studies show how other organizations have used the SMART model to leverage their data for a competitive advantage.
Written by Victor Finch, narrated by John Fehskens (1 hour and 47 minutes)4.2 out of 5 stars (39 ratings)
General overview: This brief how-to technical tutorial is an introduction on the concept of data analytics, and it includes tips on how to immediately begin using data more effectively in your organization (e.g., marketing and measuring customer satisfaction).
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