Vendor
	Fletcher Agency Melissa Chinchillo
Original language
English
Categories
Economics, Finance, Business & Management

MAKING NUMBERS COUNT

Karla Starr Chip Heath

Inspired by books like Dreyer’s English, Michael Pollan’s Food Rules and the perennial Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style, MAKING NUMBERS COUNT will be an easy to use, fun to read, and highly practical book that is destined to become a go-to resource for anyone who has to communicate numbers in way that has impact. That is all of us, whether we’re in business, in education, in journalism, or in the non-profit world.

Our world increasingly features numbers that lie well beyond the scope of our intuition. Touching every area of our lives- both personally and professionally- we are constantly confronted with data, statistics, and numbers-based facts and expected to be able to quickly, fluidly, accurately put them into context or apply them. And yet, even some of the most intelligent people we know will quickly deflect this expectation, saying they aren’t a “numbers person." This leaves us with a growing communications gap that can lead to poor decision-making and poorer outcomes.

That’s where Chip Heath and Karla Starr come in with their mission to help translate numbers in a way that makes them accessible and actionable by most everyone. By combining years of research in making ideas stick, with a deep understanding of how the brain really works, they have discerned a set of principles that will allow anyone to communicate numbers with more transparency and meaning. Chip taught a class at Stanford on this material for years and said it was one of the most fun classes he's taught. That teaching experience has allowed him to road test these principles so he knows they really work.

Chip Heath is a professor at Stanford and the co-author with his brother Dan of 4 New York Times bestsellers: Made to Stick, Decisive, Switch, and The Power of Moments. His books have sold over 3 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 33 languages. Chip has also helped over 450 startups hone their business strategy and messages. He lives in Los Gatos, California.

Karla Starr has written for O, The Atlantic, Slate, Popular Science, and appeared on CBS Sunday Morning. A member of the National Association of Science Writers and the recipient of a Best Science/Health award from the Society of Professional Journalists, her first book, Can You Learn to Be Lucky? Why Some People Seem to Win More Often Than Others, was named a Fast Company best book of the year. She lives in New York, NY.

Available products
Book Published 2022-01-11 by Avid Reader/S & S

Comments

UK Transworld
China CITIC
Dutch A.W. Bruna
Poland MT Biznes
Taiwan Business Weekly

‘Making Numbers Count’ Review: As Easy as 1, 2, 3

Numerical information is notoriously difﬁcult to communicate. Better to translate it into images and messages that make numbers unnecessary.

Aunique popular math book.
Most writers in this genre proclaim that math is fun or warn that math can fool you, but Heath, a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, and science writer Starr have another fish to fry. Even though “nobody really understands numbers” and most efforts to talk about them fail, the authors do a good job showing otherwise. In 22 short chapters, they deliver a painless, ingenious education in how to communicate statistics and numbers to people who find them confusing. One of the authors’ most striking examples of statistics in action shows that, in one test, 34% of White and 14% of Black job applicants without criminal records received a callback. When applicants revealed a drug felony conviction and prison term, 17% of Whites and 5% of Blacks were called back. It takes a second, write the authors, to realize the real significance of those numbers: White job applicants who have served jail time are more likely to get a job than a Black applicant with a clean record. The nearest star is 4.25 light-years away from Earth, a number comprehensible only to astronomers. As the authors show, comprehension is easier with a picture: “Imagine shrinking the solar system down to the size of a quarter. You leave a quarter at the goalpost of a soccer field and walk toward the goalpost at the other end of the field. When you reach it, drop another quarter to represent the solar system of our nearest neighbor.” With comparisons, the more bizarre, the better. That livestock produce 14.5% of global greenhouse gases is a boring statistic. Instead: China and America are No. 1 and No. 2 in gas production. No. 3 is represented by all of the world’s cows. Packed with tables, anecdotes, and amusing facts, the narrative makes math accessible.
Astute advice for businesspeople and educators.
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"I read this cover to cover and learned something new on each page. Beautifully written, brilliantly researched—I'm recommending it to everyone I know!" —Angela Duckworth, New York Times–bestselling author of Grit

“The most interesting, immediately actionable book I’ve read in quite a while. I walked away with new ideas for motivating employees, delighting customers, engaging students, and even planning family vacations. If life is a series of moments, the Heath brothers have transformed how I plan to spend mine.”—Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take, Originals, and Option B with Sheryl Sandberg

“This terrific book is bursting with practical insights and memorable stories on every page. It's as relevant to product designers and meeting planners as it is to teachers and parents. I've already put many of its novel suggestions to work. Don't miss it.”—Eric Ries, author of bestselling author of The Lean Startup, The Startup Way

"Flat-out amazing."—Jake Knapp, New York Times bestselling author of Sprint

"Chip Heath of Stanford and Dan Heath of Duke argue persuasively that any organization that creates peak moments--for its customers, its employees, or its students--will enjoy benefits that range from fanatical loyalty to revenue growth. In this entertaining and informative read, they explain just how to create those moments and how to turn them into a competitive advantage."—BizEd

“A sincere introduction to how readers can shape and improve the peaks in their own experiences. Infused with positivity and enthusiasm…. Readers hungry for a bigger slice of life will find this book valuable. Heuristic advice and life-affirming direction form a gratifying combination in this motivational handbook.”—Kirkus