Keeping Up with the Quants

Your Guide to Understanding and Using Analytics

By: Thomas H. Davenport, Jinho Kim

Narrated by: Alan Sklar

Welcome to the age of data. No matter your interests (sports, movies, politics), your industry (finance, marketing, technology, manufacturing), or the type of organization you work for (big company, nonprofit, small start-up) - your world is awash with data.

As a successful manager today, you must be able to make sense of all this information. You need to be conversant with analytical terminology and methods and able to work with quantitative information. This audiobook promises to become your "quantitative literacy" guide - helping you develop the analytical skills you need right now in order to summarize data, find the meaning in it, and extract its value.

©2013 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. Recorded by arrangement with Harvard Business Review Press. (P)2014 HighBridge Company

Good introduction to the world of Analytics

if you are engaged in business today, you need to understand at least the importance of Analytics. This book won't teach you Analytics, but it will give you enough to know how to approach the subject.

abstractly complimentary to coursework

I purchased this book to get more in depth knowledge on the field of Statistics and Probability.

this book, is an abstract simplified version of the details of a master course on Probability and Statistic.

I really enjoyed how the author broke down the steps to their analysis and identity their problem set.

strongly recommend for those who are interested in beginning Statistical analysis.

Future Quantitative Analyst

As a mathematics and computer science major, I have learned a fair amount of quantitative techniques, however this book provided me with the awareness of how my skills will be used in the larger business world.

Speaking to Quants

What made the experience of listening to Keeping Up with the Quants the most enjoyable?

being able to test the things I learnt with the Quants I work with

What three words best describe Alan Sklar’s voice?

Deep voice. Can be a bit mono at times

Any additional comments?

The first section of the book is a dry read but it does get more interesting and I would recommend management types to read the book.

This book has enabled me to talk the same language as the quants I interact with. Great in that regard! It also helps you to think like a quant with the 6 steps / 3 stages framework.

Not enough takeaways for the price of the book

Would you try another book from Thomas H. Davenport and Jinho Kim and/or Alan Sklar?

No

What was most disappointing about Thomas H. Davenport and Jinho Kim ’s story?

Lacked substance for anyone above high school or sophomore in college

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Alan Sklar?

Since book is for a younger audience, perhaps a younger narrator.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The book spoke of the value of quantitative analysis and hit its mark there most of the time, but not really in any way that isn't already known. It should have practiced with examples what it actually preaches in the book: make quantitative analysis assessable to the non-quants, in the language of non-quants. While it spoke in the language of non-quants, it didn't quite transfer any specific knowledge.

I will however seek other books to help me attain what the title of this book promised. And that is why I must give this book two stars. I spared it a one star because it does an admiral job being a cheerleader for quantitative analysis; that, and learning about a certain hedge fund manager.

Any additional comments?

this book had too much filler; it could have been written seemingly in half the pages

Disappointed

The introduction was good but then book moved to the part of how to talk to quants etc. I was expecting this book to be more technical rather than behavioral.