What do you think?
Rate this book
Data Literacy Fundamentals: Understanding the Power & Value of Data
This book is a companion to the Data Literacy Fundamentals on-demand online course. A digital copy of the book is included with the course.The vast majority of people in the world today do not receive a formal education that adequately prepares them for the level of data literacy required of them in their careers and by their communities. As a result, many are being left behind by the transition to data-driven dialogues and decisions all around them, and they're seeking ways to break down the barriers that are preventing them from participating. Data Literacy Fundamentals covers foundational topics such as the overall goal of data, various ways of measuring and categorizing the world, five different forms of data analysis and when they apply, pros and cons related to how we display data in tabular or graphic form, and the way teams work together to convert data into insight. This book has been written for anyone who is just getting started with data and who wants to feel more confident in their understanding of what it is, what it isn't, and what it's used for. This invaluable resource will cure you of your "dataphobia", teach you the basic concepts of data, and set you on a path of learning that will ultimately result in fluency in the language of data.
- GenresTechnical
172 pages, Paperback
Published July 3, 2020
55 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 15, 2020
An accessible overview of data science.
Found it fascinating that the author repeatedly discusses using a COMBINATION of data and intuition to make decisions. That seems to contradict what I’ve been repeatedly told by my professional betters: that data never lies and to “just accept the data”. I think data science (and statistics in general) are an important form of literacy and should get just as much attention as trig and calculus in high schools. Whether it’s interpreting COVID data for your family or community or defending yourself against pointless metrics at work, this is probably the most important lens for critical thinking in the early 21st Century.
Found it fascinating that the author repeatedly discusses using a COMBINATION of data and intuition to make decisions. That seems to contradict what I’ve been repeatedly told by my professional betters: that data never lies and to “just accept the data”. I think data science (and statistics in general) are an important form of literacy and should get just as much attention as trig and calculus in high schools. Whether it’s interpreting COVID data for your family or community or defending yourself against pointless metrics at work, this is probably the most important lens for critical thinking in the early 21st Century.
December 6, 2020
A very brief but good introduction to data literacy. If you have any experience with data concepts it’s unlikely you will learn anything new, but then again this book is not for you.
This book is like the short read you would do before you start a very basic course. You would ultimately complement this with other introductory short books or articles. I liked the Data Information Knowledge Wisdom concept and some of the structure and questions that he offers to help people think through data basics. I’ve used similar structures in the past when introducing data concepts to others. I can now recommend this book amongst others.
Looking forward to seeing how this series evolves.
This book is like the short read you would do before you start a very basic course. You would ultimately complement this with other introductory short books or articles. I liked the Data Information Knowledge Wisdom concept and some of the structure and questions that he offers to help people think through data basics. I’ve used similar structures in the past when introducing data concepts to others. I can now recommend this book amongst others.
Looking forward to seeing how this series evolves.
September 28, 2023
Great introduction to data literacy
There are so many books regarding data, data literacy, data organization available here and there. This book is really focused on fundamentals that we have to understand before deciding to deep dive into the world of data. Many organizations have been overusing “data-driven decisions” without fully understanding what it should mean, while the author emphasizes in most cases involving data there should be people’s interventions to play the roles of interpretation, association and application, hence it should be more “data-informed decision” instead of “driven”.
There are so many books regarding data, data literacy, data organization available here and there. This book is really focused on fundamentals that we have to understand before deciding to deep dive into the world of data. Many organizations have been overusing “data-driven decisions” without fully understanding what it should mean, while the author emphasizes in most cases involving data there should be people’s interventions to play the roles of interpretation, association and application, hence it should be more “data-informed decision” instead of “driven”.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews