Analytics

Web Analytics: An Hour a Day
$29.99
I've been promising this book review of "Web Analytics: An Hour a Day" by Avinash Kaushik for near six months and it has taken every week of six months to finally make it all the way through this book. I've spoken many times about Avinash and his wonderful blog "Occam's Razor" which this book being the pinnacle piece of the writings on that blog. Avinash is an analytical genus and the knowledge and experience he pours into this book are unbelievably practical, but even more important downright effective.

As I mentioned it took me six months to make it through this whole book. The problem wasn't the wealth of knowledge, but reading through it I constantly found myself stopping to take notes and try out things that are mentioned. Never have I read a book quite like this that packs so much knowledge in a way that I constantly find myself learning so much and wanting to make notes every few pages.

Web Analytics An Hour A DayAvinash really strives for this book to be able to stand the harsh test of web time (where a year is an eternity) and does a surprising good job of making it practical even as it's a few years old and will continue to be relevant going forward. The truth is this book is designed to be consumed over a long period of time as the chapters are broken down to be consumed one a month with actionable and learning assignments given throughout. The first few chapters focus on explaining how to build a successful strategy and the fundamental things you need to know about web analytics then dig right into monthly chapters starting with "Month 1: Diving Deep into Core Web Analytics Concepts" all the way through "Month 8 and Beyond: Shattering the Myths of Web Analytics". This practical tomb packs so much punch into its pages that I'm sure it will stay on my desk for a long time as a great reference piece.

Be warned that "Web Analytics: An Hour a Day" is not a casual read nor is it for someone without a hunger for numbers and data. Bottom line is that if you are truly interested in the field of Web Analytics this tomb is your Holy Grail. I've already written quite a few posts simply from the applied knowledge I've learned from this book and I think anyone that chooses to read it will no doubt come away with tons of practical nuggets themselves.

Oh and did I mention the best part is that all proceeds for this book are donated to a couple charities that Avinash has choosen! So go get your learn on and feel good about donating to a good cause by buying this piece of work that will only make you a more intelligent and better informed individual.

The New Know: Innovation Powered by Analytics (Wiley and SAS Business Series)
$49.95
I ordered this book from Amazon in U.S., and shipped it to China. So it cost me more than $40 for this tedious book. I am so disappointed.

The author is a futurist. In my opinion, futurist is not so credible. The author is somebody who spend more than 200 days on his trip (he is a kind of proud of this in his book), so it is impossible for him to do some serious research.

I am reading "Competeting on Analytics" and "Super Crunchers" at the same time. I have take notes of more than 50,000 words from these two books. But I feel there is nothing important for me to take notes from this book. The whole book is full of consultant like "definition" and "evaluation", futurist like "should be", but I don't think these assertions have any meaning. Just like I was told "You should be good", and so?

For these three books, I like "Super Crunchers" most, it is thought-provoking. "Competing on Analytics" is OK. But I dislike this one.

Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity
$39.99
Avinash did it again! His first book "Web Analytics - An Hour a Day" was a big hit and helped many in the industry get a better understanding of the foundational elements of web analytics as well as useful and practical tips for day-to-day measurement of marketing activities.

Well, the web is evolving and measuring things on the web is getting more challenging but Avinash's new book comes to the rescue! If you want to get a fresh look at how to use/report/analyze traditional data and metrics, Web Analytics 2.0 is for you. If you are into cutting-edge web 2.0 mobile/video/blogging/twitter/etc. this book is also for you. And the book doesn't just cover how to measure and improve outcomes on your own site, but it covers qualitative data, competitive intelligence techniques, and social media tools and shows how to blend it all together to help site owners and marketers find insights and take action.

If you are doing anything on the web (and I don't know what business can afford ignoring the web these days), then this book is a must read. It's definitely a must read where I work :).

Excellent job again Avinash!

Performance Management: Integrating Strategy Execution, Methodologies, Risk, and Analytics (Wiley and SAS Business Series)
$49.95
Gary Cokins' book "Performance Management" is the best collection of thinking on the subject that I have seen. Gary doesn't waste time with abstract ideas -- he provides practical insights into today's (and tomorrow's) managerial problems, along with solutions that work. I know they work because my firm's performance has improved significantly as a result of applying what Gary teaches.

The content of the book is divided into many short chapters written in an informal, sometimes irreverent, but always engaging style. You may be tempted to read multiple chapters in one sitting. I wouldn't advise it. Rather, read a chapter and then give yourself time to think about it. The more you do, the more you'll understand just how profound the wisdom is that Gary shares with his readers.