The Tyranny of Metrics (Data and Society Book Club)

About this event

Are we measuring what actually matters, or just what’s easy to count?

Join Data Services for a sharp, no-nonsense discussion of Jerry Z. Muller’s The Tyranny of Metrics . We’re taking a hard look at "metric fixation", the dangerous belief that everything can and should be quantified.

From higher education to healthcare to corporate management, Muller argues that our obsession with performance indicators, dashboards, and standardized data is actively making our institutions worse. Instead of improving efficiency, it encourages people to game the system rather than do their actual jobs.

What’s on the table:

• The Trap of Quantification : Why throwing data at a problem often creates a worse one.

• The Reality Check : A skeptical look at when metrics actually work, and when they fail spectacularly.

• The Discussion : Bring your frustrations, your insights, and your critiques. Expect an honest, unfiltered conversation about the very real limits of data-driven decision-making.

Open to all students, faculty, and staff. e-book editions are available through the library.