Review by Faalak
Jan 15, 2022This is a book about the details of how human has entered the age of data. The algorithms that run on data by finding patterns are being used everywhere and have been in use for more than 30 years which is well before the words 'Data' and 'Algorithm' became mainstream. In this book, the author gives brief history along with prospects of the use of data science in several departments. How big companies utilize them for their big profits. Computer and algorithms can be seen as impartial at the surface level but Hannah Fry clearly explains how the bias against marginal societies can creep into these algorithms and how we can become aware of it and the cautions we need to take. Most of the book seemed like the stories from the articles we have already read somewhere on the internet but the book goes a little bit deeper into these stories ranging from autonomous cars to curbing crime to making art with some fascinating examples. It can be seen as a little intro to the field of data science. The author gives both pros and cons, optimistic and pessimistic angles of different offshoots of algorithms, and finally leaves the judgment for the reader to give.
This is a book about the details of how human has entered the age of data. The algorithms that run on data by finding patterns are being used everywhere and have been in use for more than 30 years which is well before the words 'Data' and 'Algorithm' became mainstream. In this book, the author gives brief history along with prospects of the use of data science in several departments. How big companies utilize them for their big profits. Computer and algorithms can be seen as impartial at the surface level but Hannah Fry clearly explains how the bias against marginal societies can creep into these algorithms and how we can become aware of it and the cautions we need to take. Most of the book seemed like the stories from the articles we have already read somewhere on the internet but the book goes a little bit deeper into these stories ranging from autonomous cars to curbing crime to making art with some fascinating examples. It can be seen as a little intro to the field of data science. The author gives both pros and cons, optimistic and pessimistic angles of different offshoots of algorithms, and finally leaves the judgment for the reader to give.