Information Management

In a digital world, back to the almighty pen and paper

Information, Information Management, Information Overload No Responses »

May 062018

So much information, apps, social networks to maintain, plus so many gadgets plus the to-do lists (if you have a modicum of organization) and in the meantime your life is happening. “Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans”, is a saying attributed to John Lennon, but it was actually the American journalist and cartoonist Allen Saunders who said it first. No, I’m not digressing.

The Bullet Journal Method, now in the form of a book, “the analog method for the digital age”, is for anyone struggling to find their place in the digital age. It will help you get organized by providing simple tools and techniques that can inject clarity, direction, and focus into your days. As great as getting organized feels, however, it’s just the surface of something significantly deeper and more valuable, says the author. It’s all about tracking the Past, ordering the Present and designing the Future. There are many a follower of this sort of cult productivity system which, if we are to believe them, it actually works. For instance, this article in the Financial Times, Why I started a bullet journal — and so should you.

The bullet journal method : track the past, order the present, design the future. Ryder Carroll. New York: Portfolio/Penguin, 2018.

Related Website: Bullet Journal

Data: that ubiquitous “matter” and “energy” around us

Information Management No Responses »

Jul 292017

There you are: among the many new jobs and jobs descriptions that swarm the labor market, the “new” field of Data Science stands out like a beacon signaling the promised land of a never ending job supply. Yet, this is more than a passing fad, it is simply the realization of everything the evolving information economy always had in store for IT specialists, for the economy itself and for the world at large.

With this information-rich book the authors set out to elucidate how to go beyond the Big Data hype by presenting in a very comprehensive set of chapters everything that is permeated by Data in a globalized world. At the center of it all is the “data scientist”, a data-savvy, quantitative-minded, coding-literate problem solver, who could be part of the solution of the world’s problem, as long as she is part of multidisciplinary teams. The book, intended for experienced data scientists, statisticians, science PhDs, students and those new to data science, among others, wants to describe the current state of data science as well prescribe what data science could be as an academic discipline. This must-have guide includes numerous illustrative code samples and a helpful supplemental reading list that you will definitely need to really get into doing Data Science, for instance, math, coding (R and Python), data analysis and statistical inference, artificial intelligence and machine learning, experimental design and visualization.

Doing data science : straight talk from the frontline. Cathy O’Neil, Rachel Schutt. Sebastopol, CA.: O’Reilly Media, 2013. First Edition.

Do you speak the new language of business?

Information Management No Responses »

Jan 042016

Are you fluent in Data? Better yet, are you a good interpreter and communicator of Data? If so, then you possess a great skill: Data Fluency, defined as the “ ability to use the language of data to fluidly exchange and explore ideas within your organization.” This enlightening book is intended as:

A roadmap for transforming an organization with a lot of data to one that uses that data to share ideas and knowledge.
Practical advice for both consumers and producers of data products (reports, dashboards, analyses). It takes both an effective presenter and a willing audience for the data to flow freely.
A guide for executives who are energized by the opportunities to make a smarter organization, but puzzled by their organization’s struggle to be more data-driven.
An inventory of the skills and capabilities needed to be data fluent, and an opportunity to see where you stand.

Data fluency : empowering your organization with effective data communication. Zach Gemignani . Indianapolis, IN: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2014.

Data is way more than the plural of anecdote

Information Management No Responses »

Mar 182015

That’s what a sign read in the office of a (disgruntled?) statistician. Joking aside, this is an extraordinary book, a sign of the times, where data is, as Microsoft put it, the new form of energy. With this book you will be able to discover just how wide-ranging—and beautiful—working with data can be. From social data analysis to the “life in data” and the story of the DNA, and Radiohead’s house of cards, to image data processing of Mars, information platforms and the rise of the data scientist, in between. Discover and better understand the “raw material” of the Web and business decisions. The book presents in 20 mind stimulating chapters, fresh and engaging stories ranging from data collection, data storage, organization, retrieval, visualization and analysis. You don’t have to be a consummated or aspiring data scientist to enjoy this collection of elegant solutions presented by 39 of the best data practitioners today.

Beautiful data: the stories behind elegant data solutions. By Toby Segaran, Jeff Hammerbacher. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly, 2009. 1st edition.