Scan barcode
galaheadh's review against another edition
These kind of books date quickly, and this one seemed more interested in friendly both-sides discussion than a really rigorous examination - for a reader who doesn't know much about the topic it would be a pretty good informative read, but for me I found it pretty simplistic and trusting of some institutions that I really don't think should be trusted, as well as being now five years past publication date with information I've read about many times before. It was fine for what it was, but just not for me.
adambest's review against another edition
5.0
Pretty great at explaining and making you think about a lot of complex stuff.
theaurochs's review
2.0
Fry takes us through an engaging overview of data and algorithms, and how they are used in our modern world.
It reads like an entertaining Guardian article, but never really manages to pull itself to a higher level than that.
Some questionable conclusions are drawn, and there may be a lack of depth on any of the individual subjects, but the occasional nuggets of wisdom and the easy tone make up for much of the downsides; it was still a breezy read and may serve as an interesting introduction to data science for the completely uninitiated. That said, you'd have to feel that many of the cases looked at the book would be known to anyone with even a passing interest, so I'm not entirely sure what purpose it could best serve.
It reads like an entertaining Guardian article, but never really manages to pull itself to a higher level than that.
Some questionable conclusions are drawn, and there may be a lack of depth on any of the individual subjects, but the occasional nuggets of wisdom and the easy tone make up for much of the downsides; it was still a breezy read and may serve as an interesting introduction to data science for the completely uninitiated. That said, you'd have to feel that many of the cases looked at the book would be known to anyone with even a passing interest, so I'm not entirely sure what purpose it could best serve.
neha254's review against another edition
5.0
Richard Feynman is alleged to have said "If you can't explain something in simple terms, you don't understand it". On that basis, mathematician and broadcaster Hannah Fry definitely understands how algorithms are increasingly used in decision making in our society - this book is a chatty, amusing and straightforward introduction to the subject.
cardonac07's review against another edition
Read the first three or so chapters. Then gave up.
sarahswallow's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.0