Insight-Driven Problem Solving

Analytics Science to Improve the World

Soroush Saghafian (Harvard University, Massachusetts)

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Hardback

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English

Cambridge University Press
30 October 2025

Data analysis: general; Research methods: general; Econometrics; Knowledge management; Optimisation

Improving public policies, creating the next generation of AI systems, reducing crime, making hospitals more efficient, addressing climate change, controlling pandemics, and reducing disruption in supply chains are all problems where big picture ideas from analytics science have had large-scale impact. What are those ideas? Who came up with them? Will insights from analytics science help solve even more daunting societal challenges? This book takes readers on an engaging tour of the evolution of analytics science and how it brought together ideas and tools from many different fields – AI, machine learning, data science, OR, optimization, statistics, economics, and more – to make the world a better place. Using these ideas and tools, big picture insights emerge from simplified settings that get at the essence of a problem, leading to superior approaches to complex societal issues. A fascinating read for anyone interested in how problems can be solved by leveraging analytics.

By: Soroush Saghafian (Harvard University Massachusetts)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Weight: 655g
ISBN: 9781009379144
ISBN 10: 1009379143
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 30 October 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Soroush Saghafian is a professor at Harvard University. He is the founder and director of the Public Impact Analytics Science Lab (PIAS-Lab) at Harvard, which is devoted to advancing and applying the science of analytics for solving societal problems that can have public impact. His teaching at Harvard focuses on machine learning and big data analytics tools for solving societal problems. His research has appeared numerous times in the media, and he has received various notable awards for his work.

Reviews for Insight-Driven Problem Solving: Analytics Science to Improve the World

'Understanding our exponentially accelerating future requires clear frameworks for thinking, and Soroush Saghafian distills a century of our best analytical tools into this outstanding book.' Ray Kurzweil, Google chief futurist, recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, and author of The Singularity is Nearer 'Solving society's most pressing challenges will require new ideas and insights. Determining which ideas will work best requires data, models, and expertise with a variety of analytic tools. Saghafian offers a deep, yet understandable, practitioners' guide to machine learning, resource allocation, mechanism design, linear programming, and data analytics.' Scott E. Page, John Seely Brown Distinguished University Professor, University of Michigan, author of The Model Thinker 'Sweeping in scope, optimistic, and accessible, Saghafian's book on analytics science will become a reference for students and practitioners who seek a principled approach to solving difficult problems. Offering historical context and real-world examples, and with a solid grounding in scholarship while avoiding difficult notation, this book scaffolds an integrated approach toward building a better world.' David Parkes, Dean of John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University