Infosense: Turning Data and Information into Knowledge

Information has been called everything from the new gold standard to the fundamental building block of the universe. No matter where we live or what we do for a living, it is ever present in our lives, and many of us are barraged with it daily. Yet few of us know how to distinguish information from mere data, worthwhile communication, or real knowledge—in short, few of us know how to make sense of it.

In InfoSense, noted mathematician Keith Devlin shows how to make sense of the constant flow of information that swirls past us daily. What is crucial, Devlin points out, is to understand the differences between data, information, and knowledge. By exploring the nature of each, and describing what distinguishes them from one another, he shows how businesses and individuals alike can benefit from better information management. Using clear, non-technical language, simple diagrams, and many real-life examples, Devlin explains

• Why people can beat computers
• How culture influences work
• The hidden rules of conversation
• How to conduct a successful meeting

As information becomes the single most valuable asset in many industries, the key to success lies in our ability to manage that information. With InfoSense, Keith Devlin offers an easy and accessible way to learn not only how to manage it but also how to use it to live and work successfully in the Knowledge Age.

Keith Devlin is Dean of the School of Science at Saint Mary's College of California and Senior Researcher at Stanford University's Center for the Study of Language and Information. A Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, he is the author of a number of books, including The Language of Mathematics; Life by the Numbers; Goodbye, Descartes; Logic and Information; and Mathematics: The Science of Patterns.