Rating: 
Summary: Low-tech path to higher productivity
Review: Information is everywhere. To paraphrase Yoda, "it surrounds us, it binds us." It has become the only "tangible" product many of us work with. As information becomes the most valuable asset a company has, how do we manage it all?In InfoSense, noted mathematician and popular science writer Keith Devlin shows us how to make sense of the constant flow of information that bombards us daily. What is crucial, Devlin says, is to understand the difference between data, information and knowledge. Devlin's mathematical inclinations show with his equations that illustrate his points. Equations like "Information = Data + Meaning" and "Knowledge = Internalized information + ability to utilize the information." Essentially, information only turns into knowledge when we attach meaning to it. When we understand it. Distinguishing between the various types of info in the flow is all-important. Here are some key points addressed in the book: * Why people, not computers, are the most effective way to transfer knowledge * How social and cultural factors influence work * The hidden rules of everyday communication * How to conduct a meeting to achieve what you want * How to avoid miscommunication Devlin's low-tech way to higher productivity is straightforward, learn how to communicate better. He shows how to converse more efficiently, how to run more effective meetings, and how to avoid miscommunication (with some shocking airline accident examples) with clear unambiguous language. Devlin uses Situation theory to illustrate how to increase productivity within a group. He says that the ideal group size is two or three. As you add more group members the likelihood of confusion increases. It seems that the more participants in a meeting, the higher the likelihood that the group will spend most of the time discussing information already known. This is because people have a tendency to discuss what they already know, and not bring up new subjects in conversation. They lack adequate "common knowledge" and need to be consciously guided to be effective. An example: here's how to avoid going over familiar ground in a meeting: 1. Get participants to submit in advance the points they wish to make. 2. Adapt a round-robin format where each person in turn is asked to contribute something new. 3. List each new item introduced on a flipchart or a whiteboard. 4. Constantly remind the participants that the aim is to examine new information or ideas. 5. Cast the task at hand in an open-ended fashion as one of examining all the options, rather than making ajudgement or arriving at a decision. 6. Ensure that everyone in the group has a clearly defined and clearly understood area of expertise. 7. Build up the team over time, so everyone becomes familiar with one another's areas of expertise and with their strengths and weaknesses. Columbo was really creating context when, at the last minute, he turned around at the door and said "Oh, and one more thing I don't understand...." Experts are those who know the rules so well, they routinely break them. To become an expert at the art of communication, this is a good place to start. From WebReference.com.
Rating:
Summary: InfoSense makes more sense for the business person.
Review: Keith Devlin's InfoSense is an interesting book that tries to explain and define terms such as: information, data, knowledge, constraints and conversation. In the first few chapters, Devlin defines such terms mentioned above from different points of view. He tries to explain to the common reader his own definition of Information. However, he does not give his precise definition at once and expand from it. He gives different meanings throughout the first seven chapters, that the reader has to go back to the previous chapters and try to unify all the definitions and make an understanding for his/her own. Although he states on pg. 24 that defining Information is hard to define, yet he continues to give us more definitions. He also gives the "Information Equation" which it is interesting, but does not explain it enough for the common reader. Throughout his book, Devlin also mentions "Situation Theory." Yet, he does not give a clear explanation of it until page 39. By doing this, the reader has to go back and apply the meaning to the previous references. Starting on chapter 7, Devlin's book shifts to explain "conversation" and its properties. From this point on I find the book more interesting when it comes to the business world. This is the reason I give the book 4 stars. His understanding of conversation is thorough and the examples are great. Devlin's analysis of conversation and communication as a whole helps me to improve my communication skills at work as well as in other situations.
Rating:
Summary: InfoSense makes more sense for the business person.
Review: Keith Devlin's InfoSense is an interesting book that tries to explain and define terms such as: information, data, knowledge, constraints and conversation. In the first few chapters, Devlin defines such terms mentioned above from different points of view. He tries to explain to the common reader his own definition of Information. However, he does not give his precise definition at once and expand from it. He gives different meanings throughout the first seven chapters, that the reader has to go back to the previous chapters and try to unify all the definitions and make an understanding for his/her own. Although he states on pg. 24 that defining Information is hard to define, yet he continues to give us more definitions. He also gives the "Information Equation" which it is interesting, but does not explain it enough for the common reader. Throughout his book, Devlin also mentions "Situation Theory." Yet, he does not give a clear explanation of it until page 39. By doing this, the reader has to go back and apply the meaning to the previous references. Starting on chapter 7, Devlin's book shifts to explain "conversation" and its properties. From this point on I find the book more interesting when it comes to the business world. This is the reason I give the book 4 stars. His understanding of conversation is thorough and the examples are great. Devlin's analysis of conversation and communication as a whole helps me to improve my communication skills at work as well as in other situations.
Rating: 
Summary: Turning Information into Confusion
Review: While leafing through all two hundred and ten pages of Keith Devlin's Infosense: Turning Information into Knowledge, I found myself wondering, "what is the main goal of this book?" While Devlin clearly intends his literary venture to be a how-to aid for citizens of the business world (a point stated in the preface of the book), I found it to be more confusing than insightful. Devlin sets out to take on these questions among others: What is information? How is information stored? And what is required to turn information into knowledge? (p.2) However, in answering these questions, Devlin departs from explanation and instead relates story upon story, ranging from the greatest airline disaster in history to the economic history of Microsoft. While Devlin does exhibit the ability to pick interesting stories, they never truly explain the subject of his book. When Devlin does attempt to thoroughly explain the answers to the questions raised in his book, he provides multiple answers that confuse the reader. Take for example his opening chapter where Devlin asks, "So just what is this stuff called information?" (p.12). Devlin proceeds to provide equations such as "Information = Data + Meaning" (p.14), "Information = Representation + Procedure for encoding/decoding" (p.32), and "Information =Representation + Constraint" (p.33). While this jargon may seem clear to an accomplished mathematician like Devlin, the common reader is left hunting for the meaning within all the different answers. Just which equation does Devlin want us to remember from his book? Which one takes priority over the rest? This is not to say that Devlin's book is all "bad." He does provide some useful knowledge, including a description of the impact of group sizes on the relation of information in business meetings (p.122). Devlin also includes a foundation for the implementation of information technology in the workplace, particularly in chapter 24. However most of the useful knowledge in the book lacks sufficient evidence, especially his references to situation theory, which he claims has done everything from providing "a method for modeling business and manufacturing processes," (p.7) to creating "the first realistic and useful analysis of `common knowledge'" (p.6). A fault in Devlin's book is that much of the information provided is already `common knowledge' in the minds of his readers. Thus, Infosense: Turning Information into Knowledge, serves as a refresher for the common businessman or businesswoman, it fails to break new ground in the study of information.
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