Keeping up to date with developments in data, higher education and artificial intelligence is increasingly important for anyone working in complex, regulated, people-centred environments. Decisions are shaped by metrics, technology and policy, often in ways that are not immediately visible, and it is easy to focus on tools or headlines rather than underlying assumptions and consequences. The books and resources listed here provide context, critical perspectives and practical ways of thinking that go beyond day-to-day tasks. Together, they support better judgement, clearer communication and more informed decision-making, whether you are working with institutional data, navigating change in higher education, or engaging with AI in a thoughtful and responsible way.

📚 Recommended Reading: Data

Great data work isn’t just about tools, it’s about thinking clearly, measuring what matters, and communicating with impact. These resources have shaped how I approach data quality, interpretation, and telling meaningful stories with data.

• How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business – A pragmatic guide to measuring uncertainty and things people say “can’t be measured”.
  📗 ISBN-13: 978-1118539279
  🔗 https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Measure-Anything-Intangibles-Business/dp/1118539273
• David Kernohan on WonkHE – When something is going on in Higher Education, dk will almost certainly have a dashboard about it.
  🔗 https://wonkhe.com/staff/david-kernohan/
• The Signal and the Noise: The Art and Science of Prediction – Deep insights on why some predictions work and others fail – essential for better decision-making from data.
  📗 ISBN-13: 978-1846148162
  🔗 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Signal-Noise-Art-Science-Prediction/dp/1846148162
• Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualisation Guide for Business Professionals – Practical principles for clear, persuasive data communication.
  📗 ISBN-13: 978-1119002253
  🔗 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Storytelling-Data-Visualization-Business-Professionals/dp/1119002257
• Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are – Fun and revealing look at what real-world data shows about human behaviour.
  📗 ISBN-13: 978-0062390868
  🔗 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Everybody-Lies-Internet-about-Really/dp/0062390864
• Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy – A critical perspective on when data and algorithms do more harm than good.
  📗 ISBN-13: 978-0553418811
  🔗 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Weapons-Math-Destruction-Increases-Inequality/dp/0553418815

---

🎓 Recommended Reading: Higher Education

Understanding higher education, from policy and purpose to metrics and strategy, makes your work with institutional data more grounded and impactful.

• Surviving and Thriving in Higher Education Professional Services: A Guide to Success by Rachel Reeds – a comprehensive look at how to build a career in HE professional services
  📗 ISBN-13: 978-1032862699
  🔗 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Surviving-Thriving-Education-Professional-Services/dp/1032862696
• The Tyranny of Metrics by Jerry Z. Muller – A clear critique of over-reliance on performance numbers, highly relevant for assessment and accountability work.
  📗 ISBN-13: 978-0691174952
  🔗 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tyranny-Metrics-Jerry-Z-Muller/dp/0691174954
• What Are Universities For? by Stefan Collini – A thoughtful exploration of the purpose of universities in modern society, beyond market framing.
  📗 ISBN-13: 978-0241404645 (UK edition first ed)
  🔗 https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Are-Universities-For/dp/0241404645
• The Great University Gamble: Money, Markets and the Future of Higher Education by Andrew McGettigan – An investigation into market-oriented reforms and financial pressures facing universities.
  📗 ISBN-13: 978-1529202048
  🔗 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-University-Gamble-Markets-Education/dp/1529202048

---

🤖 Recommended Reading: Artificial Intelligence

AI is not just technology, it’s a lens on how organisations learn, make decisions, and shape society. These books combine clarity, insight, and practical context.

• You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It’s Making the World a Weirder Place by Janelle Shane – A remarkably accessible and often hilarious introduction to real-world AI behaviour.
  📗 ISBN-13: 978-0316525244
  🔗 https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Look-Like-Thing-Love/dp/1472269010
• Artificial Intelligence Basics: A Non-Technical Introduction by Tom Taulli – A friendly, non-technical overview of core AI ideas and their practical implications.
  📗 ISBN-13: 978-1484250273
  🔗 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Artificial-Intelligence-Basics-Non-Technical-Introduction/dp/1484250273
• Atlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial Intelligence by Kate Crawford – A critical look at the environmental, social and labour impacts behind AI development and deployment.
  📗 ISBN-13: 978-0300209570
  🔗 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Atlas-AI-Planetary-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/0300264631
• (Optional advanced pick) Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans by Melanie Mitchell – A thoughtful, human-centred overview of what AI can and can’t do.
  📗 ISBN-13: 978-0241404829
  🔗 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Artificial-Intelligence-Thinking-Humans-Pelican/dp/0241404835