books for non-analysts that will teach you how to understand, organize and present data

It is generally accepted that analytics, statistics and in general everything related to numbers is difficult and inaccessible for ordinary people to understand. Nevertheless, every day we are faced with data and make decisions based on it.

For example, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us all to analyze the incidence data, understand the performance indicators of vaccines and explain our findings to those around us: parents, friends, colleagues.

This article is a selection of books that will teach you how to understand, organize and present data, even if you are not connected in any way with the profession of an analyst.

Data: Visualize, Tell, Use | Storytelling in analytics

Cole Nassbaumer Naflick

One of the superpowers of a good analyst is the ability not only to process data with high quality, but also to present it to a wide range of people in an understandable and accessible form. The author of the book “Data: Visualize, Tell, Use” suggests presenting data to the audience in a storytelling format – that is, not just showing numbers, but supporting them with fascinating stories to make it clearer and more interesting for people.

In this book, you will learn how to turn history into data in 6 steps. Here is their essence in brief:

1. Understand the context: that is, to figure out to whom and what we are telling and why it is important for them.

2. Choose the best data visualization option: not rush to create another graph or pie chart, but build on the situation, context, audience goals, etc.

3. Get rid of information waste, that is, find and exclude everything that can prevent people from perceiving information.

4. Direct audience attention: Get the right accents so people don’t miss important aspects of your presentation.

5. Use design concepts in visualization: think like a designer and work out the visual part of the presentation.

6. Tell a story: Apply storytelling techniques to communicate your message in an understandable way.

This book will be useful not only for analysts, but also for everyone who works with information and presents their findings to people, for example:

• Students – to defend their educational projects and diploma theses,

• For teachers – to prepare interesting and convincing materials for classes,

• Team leads, product managers, project managers – for example, to present the project to the management and get resources for it, or to share the results of the quarter.

Five Reasons to Read Data: Visualize, Tell, Use

1. The book itself is built on the principles of storytelling – and this helps to master the material better, using a living example

2. You will learn to not only correctly represent the data, but also to notice and correct diagrams that are misleading.

3. In general, the book contains a lot of examples from various spheres of life: from politics to trade.

4. You will learn how to do high-quality data visualization without any special tools – the well-known Microsoft Excel is enough

5. Get aesthetic pleasure, choosing with the author options for diagrams and color schemes for them.

Attention: after reading this book, you will not be able to calmly look at the presentations of your colleagues. 😂

Insight from the book

Here is an example of a misleading diagram that the author breaks down in the book:

This bar chart provides information on tax cuts. What is wrong here? There is no zero line on the diagram, which can distort the perception of information.

If you add a zero line, the difference in tax rates does not seem to be that significant. The author emphasizes that the chart must have a zero line – otherwise, the distorted proportions of the columns will mislead the audience.

More things to learn about visualization

“The Art of Systems Thinking” | Essential knowledge of systems and creativity in problem solving

Joseph O’Connor and Ian McDermott

Everything that surrounds us, including ourselves, are systems. Each system has unique properties and participates in different processes – and this makes our world complex and dynamic.

The ability to see systems and the relationships between them is a very useful skill that is useful not only for an analyst, but also for any person: for example, when making decisions, resolving conflicts, planning personal finances, and even following a diet 🙂

Five reasons to read The Art of Systems Thinking

1. Look at yourself and the world around you from a different perspective – through the eyes of a systems analyst.

2. Learn to avoid cognitive traps.

3. Practice solving logical problems – they are in the book in almost every chapter.

4. You will look at many practical examples of using systems thinking to solve problems that everyone faces.

5. Get to know the basic terms and principles of systems analysis. For example, learn what cycles of positive and negative feedback are.

Insight from the book

The authors talk about the so-called “mental models” – ideas, strategies and ways of understanding information deeply rooted in the minds of people. An example of such a model is the expression “current flows through the wires” (after all, in fact, no current “flows” through the wires).

Every day we are guided by many mental models – in work, life, decision-making. Some mental models limit us: they narrow the point of view, distort the real picture of the world, prevent us from gaining new experience.

Therefore, the authors advise to have an open position in life and rely on “systemic mental models”. Here are some signs that you are using system mental models:

• You realize that you are acting on the basis of mental models and are constantly improving them.

• Show curiosity and are not afraid of uncertainty

• You look for reasons in the feedback system, take into account the time factor

• For any situation, you explore not only it, but also your assumptions about it.

• Pay attention to the relationship of factors, seeking to understand this relationship.

What else to learn about systems thinking

“The Art of Statistics. How to find answers in data “

David Spiegelhalter

We come across statistics every day: more often as users (for example, when we compare vaccines, observe election results, support our favorite football team, and even watch ads), but sometimes also as participants (for example, in a population census).

The book provides a general understanding of how statistics help in solving applied problems. For example, you hear the phrase “the unemployment rate dropped by 20%”. What does it mean? “The Art of Statistics” will teach you how to interpret data in order to make informed decisions based on it.

Five reasons to read The Art of Statistics. How to find answers in data “

1. The author of the book is a statistician with extensive experience. Sir David Spiegelhalter is one of the most cited and influential researchers in his field. In 2017-2018 he was elected president Royal Statistical Society…

2. The author acquaints the reader with the basic concepts of statistics, accompanying the material with interesting findings. For example, in this book, I learned about a selection of datasets that have similar statistics, but their graphs represent a dinosaur, a star, a series of lines, etc. You don’t always need formulas to be a researcher.

3. The book contains many interesting stories about how statistics are applied to problems from various fields: from crime investigation to a / b tests. The examples from the book are inspiring, especially if you like numbers like me.

4. There are no formulas in the main text of the book (only in the glossary).

5. Provided with the book link to github to reproduce calculations and examples.

Insight from the book

There is a very interesting chapter in the book, “When Things Go Wrong,” in which the author discusses the problems and complexities of statistical inference.

For example, it happens that a researcher wants to get sensational test results so much that, upon seeing their first signs, he stops the test and acts on the basis of “raw” data.

In addition, there are other “pitfalls”: data can be fabricated, misunderstood or misinterpreted to the audience. The author encourages experts who work with data to be ethical and responsible, and teaches non-professionals to understand what statistics really say.

More things to learn about statistics