Analytics Stories

Book excerpt: Inform your own analyses by seeing how one of the best data analysts in the world approaches analytics problems Analytics Stories: How to Make Good Things Happen is a thoughtful, incisive, and entertaining exploration of the application of analytics to real-world problems and situations. Covering fields as diverse as sports, finance, politics, healthcare, and business, Analytics Stories bridges the gap between the oft inscrutable world of data analytics and the concrete problems it solves. Distinguished professor and author Wayne L. Winston answers questions like: Was Liverpool over Barcelona the greatest upset in sports history? Was Derek Jeter a great infielder What's wrong with the NFL QB rating? How did Madoff keep his fund going? Does a mutual fund’s past performance predict future performance? What caused the Crash of 2008? Can we predict where crimes are likely to occur? Is the lot of the American worker improving? How can analytics save the US Republic? The birth of evidence-based medicine: How did James Lind know citrus fruits cured scurvy? How can I objectively compare hospitals? How can we predict heart attacks in real time? How does a retail store know if you're pregnant? How can I use A/B testing to improve sales from my website? How can analytics help me write a hit song? Perfect for anyone with the word “analyst” in their job title, Analytics Stories illuminates the process of applying analytic principles to practical problems and highlights the potential pitfalls that await careless analysts.