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How to Measure Anything
Book

How to Measure Anything

Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business

Douglas W. Hubbard
Wiley, 2010

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

Finding the answers to most questions usually begins with measuring. But when it comes to answering questions that plague business and society – Will this new product succeed? Will that company fail? How valuable is a human life? – the usual tools of measurement fall short. Metrics expert Douglas W. Hubbard offers a logical, reasoned explanation of how to assign a dimension to anything, especially intangibles or “soft” issues. He makes a strong case for why failing to measure such issues can lead to unsatisfactory or even disastrous decisions. His straightforward approach to the sometimes off-putting field of statistics will appeal to even the most numerically challenged. getAbstract recommends his advice to anyone charged with making critical decisions.

Take-Aways

  • “Anything can be measured”: Anything you can see, sense or feel, you can measure.
  • Measurement means achieving less uncertainty, not always divining a precise answer.
  • You needn’t be a statistician or good with numbers to measure; you must be observant, creative and intuitive.

About the Author

Douglas W. Hubbard is an expert in metrics, decision analysis and risk management. He is the author of The Failure of Risk Management: Why It’s Broken and How to Fix It.

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    R. G. 1 decade ago
    Me parece un excelente libro para terminar con las dudas acerca de que lo intangible es imposible de medir y que los subjetivo no es cuantificable. Una excelente puerta de entrada a desarrollar sistemas innovadores de medición.
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    E. R. getAbstract 1 decade ago
    Kathleen - thanks for your comment. We thought this was a great introduction for people who don't work with data all the time and a solid confirmation for those who do, so we're glad you identified with it. (Erica Rauzin, Managing Editor, getAbstract)