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The Model Thinker

What You Need to Know to Make Data Work for You

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About this listen

 Work with data like a pro using this guide that breaks down how to organize, apply, and most importantly, understand what you are analyzing in order to become a true data ninja.

From the stock market to genomics laboratories, census figures to marketing email blasts, we are awash with data. But as anyone who has ever opened up a spreadsheet packed with seemingly infinite lines of data knows, numbers aren't enough: we need to know how to make those numbers talk. In The Model Thinker, social scientist Scott E. Page shows us the mathematical, statistical, and computational models—from linear regression to random walks and far beyond—that can turn anyone into a genius. At the core of the book is Page's "many-model paradigm," which shows the reader how to apply multiple models to organize the data, leading to wiser choices, more accurate predictions, and more robust designs. The Model Thinker provides a toolkit for business people, students, scientists, pollsters, and bloggers to make them better, clearer thinkers, able to leverage data and information to their advantage. Economics Mathematics Theory Investing Business Data Science Machine Learning Sports Management Technology Capitalism Socialism
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The concepts are indeed interesting for anyone with a little science or math background. The narration was clearly spoken, however oftentimes was jarring, when it came to equations, and there are a lot of them. I found other narrators succumb to these same problems of not knowing how to read a mathematical equation. Example, any function or expression with parentheses (such as a logarithm or a probability) was described instead as a 'times'. And at the same time, superfluous words were used when describing equations, when a technically minded person would say something like "log two to-the n" the narrator would say "log base two times n". Subscripts were read incorrectly as "base." You could say that a book with equations just doesn't lend itself to audio. It might be better if an author first converted the equations into plaintext so that a narrator can read as the author intended. I might recommend if it weren't for the incorrect narration of equations.

Book had some good ideas, let down by equations

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Author did a great job by presenting some great concepts that will help you understand the world around you in a more accurate way.

Also, a great performance by the narrator! A bit annoying that he reads P(x) as “P times x”, but otherwise its a pleasure to listen to him.

Grasp the complexity

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What stands out in "The Model Thinker" is its accessibility. While the content is grounded in rigorous academic research, Page writes in a clear, engaging style that demystifies complex ideas. For information modelers, this is essential. The book provides a rich tapestry of modeling frameworks, including statistical, mathematical, and computational models, making it a comprehensive resource for professionals at varying levels of expertise.

Must Read for Information Modelers

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