Analytics must-read list

Having just spent approximately $150 on books on Amazon.com, I got to thinking what else could fill up that list for my next order. (My husband is cringing as I write this.)

So here are my read and “up next” lists. I would love to hear your recommendations, both for myself and others to add to their reading lists.

Been there, read that:

  • “The Big Book of Key Performance Indicators” by Eric T. Peterson (FYI, available for free! at Web Analytics Demystified)
  • “Web Analytics Demystified” by Eric T. Peterson (also available for free! at Web Analytics Demystified)
  • “Web Analytics: An Hour A Day” by Avinash Kaushik
  • “Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity” by Avinash Kaushik
  • “Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning” by Thomas H. Davenport and Jeanne G. Harris
  • “Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell
  • “Buyology” by Martin Lindstrom
  • “Five Dysfunctions of a Team” by Patrick Lencioni
  • And for fun, “Freakonomics” by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

Looking forward to my Amazon delivery for:

  • “Analytics at Work: Smarter Decisions, Better Results” by Thomas H. Davenport, et al
  • “Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error” by Kathryn Schulz
  • “Social Media Metrics: How to Measure and Optimize Your Marketing Investment” by Jim Sterne and David Meerman Scott
  • “How to Think Like An Economist” by Roger A. Arnold
  • “Why Can’t You Just Give Me The Number? An Executive’s Guide to Using Probabilistic Thinking to Manage Risk and to Make Better Decisions” by Patrick Leach
  • “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell
  • And for even more fun, “Superfreakonomics” by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

What are your must reads? I’d love to hear them.

UPDATE: Thanks for the comments and recommendations! Here is a summary of the recommendations:

  • “Only the Paranoid Survive” by Andy Grove (from Rudi Shumpert)
  • “Cult of Analytics” by Steven Jackson (from Jennifer Day and Emer Kirrane)
  • “Cartoon Guide to Statistics” by Larry Gonick (from Jennifer Day)
  • “The Book of Think” by Marilyn Burns (from Jennifer Day)
  • “Reading Virtual Minds” by Joseph Carrabis (from Jennifer Day)
  • “Most Harmless Econometrics: An Empiricist’s Companion” by Angrist and Pischke (from Michael Healy)
  • “The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies” by Caplan (from Michael Healy)
  • “The Richness of Life: The Essential Stephen Jay Gould” By SJG (from Michael Healy)
  • “Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea” by Seife (from Michael Healy)
  • “Yahoo! Web Analytics: Tracking, Reporting, and Analyzing for Data-Driven Insights” by Dennis R. Mortensen (from Emer Kirrane)
  • “Made to Stick, Why Some Ideas Survive and Other Die” by Chip and Dan Heath (from Meng Goh)

13 thoughts on “Analytics must-read list

  1. Looks like a solid list to me. I really enjoyed the “Social Media Metrics: How to Measure and Optimize Your Marketing Investment” by Jim Sterne and David Meerman Scott.

    And an all time favorite book of mine although not directly related to analytics is “Only the Paranoid Survive by Andy Grove”

    -Rudi
    @rrs_atl

  2. Thanks! I’ll add that to my list also. I like a broad range so my book choices aren’t always 100% analytics only. I figure one must stay well rounded and informed.

  3. Cult of Analytics by Steven Jackson.

    Fun/Branching out: Cartoon Guide to Statistics by Larry Gonick. The Book of Think by Marilyn Burns. Reading Virtual Minds by Joseph Carrabis.

    I lean toward books about puzzle-solving and critical thinking, I think. Cult of Analytics was a departure for me (but a good one!)

    Oooh, I know there’s more… this is just what I’ve been into the past 6 months. Will let you know if others come to mind.

  4. Great list!

    A few more:

    “Mostly Harmless Econometrics: An Empiricist’s Companion” by Angrist and Pischke
    A must read if you are doing real analysis; solid Econometrics book written in a digestible tone.

    “The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies” by Caplan
    Challenges voters being rational; with voters also consumers a worthwhile read.

    “The Richness of Life: The Essential Stephen Jay Gould” By SJG
    A selection of articles written by Gould, with many on statistics and their interpretation. Start with the article he wrote after being diagnosed with cancer then go on from there.

    “Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea” by Seife
    Very readable and enjoyable book about the lengths people will go to in order to avoid dealing with numbers that don’t match their world view.

    Michael D. Healy

  5. Thanks for the suggestions! FYI I’ll be adding everyone’s suggestions to the final list – so thanks for the contributinos. Figure it’ll be a nice find for analytics newbies who stumble upon it.

    PS. You guys are not helping my credit card bill 😉

  6. Ooh, yes, I second Jen on Cult of Analytics (or anything else she says).
    Also can’t help plugging the Yahoo! Web Analytics book by Dennis Mortensen. 🙂

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  8. Performance Marketing with Google Analytics is currently wedged in my bag between the laptop and papers from work. There are some good tips in here regarding tools and implementations that I haven’t seen in other books. And it’s a comfortable read. Ideal for a geek holiday!

  9. As you move up the WA food chain, you’ll find yourself making presentation in front of execs more frequently. I highly recommend “Made to Stick, Why Some Ideas Survive and Other Die” by Chip and Dan Heath. All the analysis in the world is complete waste of time if you can’t influent changes.

  10. I recently saw a web cast of Jeff Ma’s talk at Microsoft Research, base on his new book “The House Advantage: Playing the Odds to Win Big In Business.” The main character from the movie 21 is base on his story. Great book about using statistic, analytics for decision making. Lot of insights about the process of making decision, not just the math. Very entertaining as well.

  11. Nice post Michele… what are your recommendations on the best people to follow on Twitter about web analytics and analytics in general?

  12. Thank you Apurva. Great idea for my next blog post – I’ll have to share some must follows!

    In the meantime, here have been some folks I’ve recommended in recent follow fridays:

    @menggoh @EndressAnalytic @lyena @i4harold @UsefulArts @jdaysy @jowyang @Exxx @judahp @jdersh @rands @immeria @minethatdata @zyxo @lawweb

    Enjoy!

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