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thisisleila's review against another edition
2.0
What do white people like? Will you get more dates if you spell "what" as "wut" (answer: no)? If you love the idea of finding trends and using light social science to poke through data derived from online dating sites, go read http://blog.okcupid.com/, probably my second favorite blog of all time.
Don't real Dataclysm, the book the blog became. Actually, "Dont read the book the book the blog became" is pretty good general advice. Like most, this takes the awesome content and fills it out into an acceptable book length it with thousands of words of dull rambling and barely any additions to the good stuff.
Plus, Christian Rudder loves taking data and running with it, jumping to all sorts of really, really, REALLY frustratingly stupid conclusions.
Don't real Dataclysm, the book the blog became. Actually, "Dont read the book the book the blog became" is pretty good general advice. Like most, this takes the awesome content and fills it out into an acceptable book length it with thousands of words of dull rambling and barely any additions to the good stuff.
Plus, Christian Rudder loves taking data and running with it, jumping to all sorts of really, really, REALLY frustratingly stupid conclusions.
brinysea's review against another edition
3.0
Was intrigued by this book because I met my husband on OK Cupid. Felt like several long read columns in Wired or Slate probably could have accomplished the same thing as a book, sans the painful philosophizing toward the end. In retrospect, listening to a book about data was not my best choice, but some interesting insights nonetheless.
jconte's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book through the First Reads program. Goodreads probably was not aware that they sent this book about big data to someone with a professional background in data analytics and an academic background in the social sciences. As such, I could not wait to write my review.
The information being provided is from Christian Rudder, president and co founder of OKCupid. He analyzes data from his site as well as other social media websites. The premise is that Dataclysm is "An unprecedented deluge of digital information reshaping our view of the world."
In my professional experience I saw enormous strategic decisions based on available data. The actions of our customers online indicated that their interests lay beyond the scope of what we had been providing. Knowing their attitude toward certain content was indeed positive, made it possible for programming strategy to move in a different direction.
This book contains a lot of interesting data: disparities between what people say that want in a relationship and what they actually do. He uses the OKCupid to examine the gaps between what races say about one another, and also how his users feel about sex, filtered by Geolocation.
These types of analyses are just part of the internet landscape now. We have more data than we know what to do with, and as vendors continue to integrate online analytics with real life purchasing data, or actual behavioral data our conclusions will become more robust.
It took a while to get through the book despite the material. The chapters seemed disjointed to me and I was expecting every chapter to support a central narrative. However, I found myself staring at graphs that were interesting but not hugely significant. That’s the problem with big data…narrowing it all to what is really essential.
The information being provided is from Christian Rudder, president and co founder of OKCupid. He analyzes data from his site as well as other social media websites. The premise is that Dataclysm is "An unprecedented deluge of digital information reshaping our view of the world."
In my professional experience I saw enormous strategic decisions based on available data. The actions of our customers online indicated that their interests lay beyond the scope of what we had been providing. Knowing their attitude toward certain content was indeed positive, made it possible for programming strategy to move in a different direction.
This book contains a lot of interesting data: disparities between what people say that want in a relationship and what they actually do. He uses the OKCupid to examine the gaps between what races say about one another, and also how his users feel about sex, filtered by Geolocation.
These types of analyses are just part of the internet landscape now. We have more data than we know what to do with, and as vendors continue to integrate online analytics with real life purchasing data, or actual behavioral data our conclusions will become more robust.
It took a while to get through the book despite the material. The chapters seemed disjointed to me and I was expecting every chapter to support a central narrative. However, I found myself staring at graphs that were interesting but not hugely significant. That’s the problem with big data…narrowing it all to what is really essential.
jdintr's review against another edition
4.0
Working at an online dating site like OkCupid, one might expect Christian Rudder to be something of a "love guru." He's a guru, all right, but it's in his crunching of the data behind his site and others that he reveals fascinating insights into the factors that go into those most subjective of human activities: love and attraction.
Reading this book, I would estimate that I had an "ah ha" moment about every five pages. Do you want to know if you & your spouse are compatible? Check the overlap on your Facebook friends. Which races of people are attractive across a broad spectrum and which ones aren't? How many people in America actually are homosexual or bisexual? The data reveal fascinating answers that couldn't be collected any other way.
And that's not the most prosaic of the information that Rudder reveals. What words are Asian men (or women) most/least likely to use to describe themselves? (This was probably the most hilarious section of the book.) Do women with lower attractiveness ratings really get fewer messages from suitors?
OkCupid isn't Rudder's only source of data. He includes statistics from Google Books, Twitter, and other online dating sites. He's after a peek behind the curtain of attractiveness that we present to the world. What he finds there isn't scary or embarrassing, it's...well, normal.
Despite being a number-cruncher, Rudder also has a deft hand with a phrase or an observation. On language, he writes, "Realize this: if anything, today is writing's Cambrian explosion, not its mass extinction."
This is a well-written book, but what you'll appreciate most is how well thought out it is. Whether you're single, married, or swearing off relationships forever, Rudder's "Dataclysm" has insights you will enjoy.
Reading this book, I would estimate that I had an "ah ha" moment about every five pages. Do you want to know if you & your spouse are compatible? Check the overlap on your Facebook friends. Which races of people are attractive across a broad spectrum and which ones aren't? How many people in America actually are homosexual or bisexual? The data reveal fascinating answers that couldn't be collected any other way.
And that's not the most prosaic of the information that Rudder reveals. What words are Asian men (or women) most/least likely to use to describe themselves? (This was probably the most hilarious section of the book.) Do women with lower attractiveness ratings really get fewer messages from suitors?
OkCupid isn't Rudder's only source of data. He includes statistics from Google Books, Twitter, and other online dating sites. He's after a peek behind the curtain of attractiveness that we present to the world. What he finds there isn't scary or embarrassing, it's...well, normal.
Despite being a number-cruncher, Rudder also has a deft hand with a phrase or an observation. On language, he writes, "Realize this: if anything, today is writing's Cambrian explosion, not its mass extinction."
This is a well-written book, but what you'll appreciate most is how well thought out it is. Whether you're single, married, or swearing off relationships forever, Rudder's "Dataclysm" has insights you will enjoy.
radbear76's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting look at how data can be used but doesn’t hype up the risk to individual rights or claim it will solve all problems.
kerrygibbons's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty darn good book. Very interesting look at Big Data.
melledotca's review against another edition
4.0
Not quite as much fun as the old OKCupid blog post data stunts, but a really interesting read. Will definitely need updates over time.
hisuin's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 estrellas.
Análisis interesante de la gente gracias a los nuevos datos que se pueden adquirir del uso de internet y redes sociales varias. Empieza muy bien, pero me parece que va perdiendo fuelle con el paso de los capítulos.
El análisis y tratamiento de los datos está dirigido a todos los públicos, en un estilo directo y sencillo.
Análisis interesante de la gente gracias a los nuevos datos que se pueden adquirir del uso de internet y redes sociales varias. Empieza muy bien, pero me parece que va perdiendo fuelle con el paso de los capítulos.
El análisis y tratamiento de los datos está dirigido a todos los públicos, en un estilo directo y sencillo.