Customer Reviews

Introduction to Decision Analysis (2nd Edition)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a great overview of different DA tools, processes and analyses. The book nicely balances a newbie-level focus with sophisticated forms of analysis.

Skinner's focus is very much on making it possible for readers to take the concepts in the book and immediately apply them to real-world decision problems. Many of the concepts are developed and then presented in a cookbook-like fashion. This style was often clarifying and makes the book an excellent quick reference.

One of the best books on the market, for this topic! David's broad experience and ease of explanation contributes to this being a top choice as a teaching reference. 'Introduction to Decision Analysis' contains the appropriate level of detail for those interested in going beyond the basics, while being easily understandable for those that are just learning about decision management. Over 200 copies of this book reside on the bookshelves of individuals within our company...and I would venture that none of them are collecting dust!

Mr. Skinner's book is the most practical book I have found on the subject of Decision Analysis. His writing style and examples present complex topics and techniques in an easy to understand manner. This book has provided me with very valuable examples and stories that I use daily in my work. I have many books on this subject, but this is the only book I recommend to co-workers and anyone interested in decision analysis. I especially like the way he has incorporated his web site into the book.

This book is a great value for anyone learning about decision analysis, or who has the responsibility to facilitate, coach or teach others about the process. David Skinner provides a comprehensive, well thought-out introduction to the subject. He not only covers the mechanics, but also provides a template for facilitating project teams in the use of a structured decision-making process. The reader will appreciate the practical focus of the book, such as the "Bush Grid" on page 32, which illustrates the scalability of decision analysis as a function of ambiguity and uncertainty. It is up-to-date with illustrations of software tools for decision analysis and Internet references where readers can download case studies and tutorials. The appendix includes a series of "how to" guides, as well as a questionnaire for assessing your risk-taking preference. If you were to own only one text on decision-analysis, this is the book to buy. If you already have several, add this one to your collection.

David offers us an accessible yet amazingly complete and practical book on decision-making. The presentation is very clear and understandable. The contents are relevant to real business situations. The examples are easy to translate to your real life. This is your first introduction and permanent reference to decision analysis. A bible for decision-analysts as well as decision-makers.

Skinner's book is an excellent step-by-step journey through the basics of Decision Analysis. Through the frequent use of targetted exercises and clean examples, the reader is brought painlessly through the thinking and the tools associated with Decision Analysis. As a practitioner I frequently purchase copies to give to the teams I advise. Especially helpful has been the chapter entitled "A thirty-minute guide to better decisions". Credibility of this book is enhanced by its assertion that complex "full" DA methods are not always needed and that this flexibility of application is the key to practical decision success. Is there anything that this book is lacking?? Certainly, but they are advanced applications (dependent tornado diagrams and the like) and would apply to a limited audience. The other thing that I've found is that Skinner himself is accessible.

If you only buy one book about decision analysis this year, this should be the one. It shows the reader a specific step-by-step process for decision making. The basic decision analysis approach and the facilitiating the decision process sections provide clear, concise, detailed information to assist any type of decision maker - manager, professional, or practitioner.

The pracitical guides included in the book include many helpful templates and case studies. They assist the reader in scaling the decision process, eliciting issues, building influence diagrams, and developing strategy tables. They also are useful for creating decision hierarchies, assessing data ranges, and building decision trees. I really enjoy the interactivity of this book with it's web site.

David Skinner does a great job. He has practical lessons in a simple way.
Great book for students and laymen.

Skinner covers a lot of territory in this book, hitting important elements of real-world decision-making. I recommend this for new practitioners and managers, or anyone else who wants a comprehensive overview of decision analysis in the business environment. Rather than focus only on number-crunching such as cost-benefit or cash flow projection, he provides an overview (granted, it's somewhat abbreviated) of decision process, scaleability, and decision quality -- topics we don't hear about often enough. For instance, Skinner provides practical checklists and tools such as one for assessing the quality of a decision (p. 96). Additionally, the book functions as an encyclopedia of decision methods, with concise explanations of influence diagrams, Monte Carlo, probability, etc.

I recommend Skinner's 3rd Edition, as many of the issues raised by those who didn't like the 2nd Edition have been addressed.