Review by Choice Review
New York Times data scientist Wiggins and historian of science Jones (both professors at Columbia Univ.) offer a dense (even whirlwind) account of the history of "data" as an artifact, expanding on the whys and wherefores of modern data acquisition and current applications. The authors' quest is to dispel ignorance. Use, misuse, and ethics of use with respect to data and statistics permeate the discussion. Data is equivalent to "data-driven algorithmic decision-making systems," while politics is "the dynamics of power" (p. 2). Chapter 1 addresses critics of data gathering and structuring processes, while chapter 2 ("Social Physics") examines common types of biometric data, such as body mass index (BMI) and the statistically average person. In chapter 3 ("Statistics of the Deviant") the authors explain treatment and mistreatment of outliers from beyond the bell curve. Chapter 4 traces origins of "data intelligence" (social Darwinism vs. W. E. B. Dubois), chapter 5 the ascent of mathematics ("Data's Mathematical Baptism"). Chapter 6 surveys cryptography. Chapters 7--9 cover Turing machines, artificial intelligence, expert systems, pattern recognition, and machine learning. In chapter 10 the authors explain data mining, the web, and big data. Chapter 11 explores data ethics, while chapter 12 covers persuasion, advertising, and venture capital. Chapter 13 (the last) proposes solutions. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. --Robert Edward Buntrock, independent scholar
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
How did numbers become the "obvious way to understand and exercise power"? ask Columbia math professor Wiggins (Data Science in Context) and Columbia history professor Jones (Reckoning with Matter) in this edifying chronicle. Tracing the rise of data and statistics, the authors begin at the end of the 18th century as European states gained strength and sought to understand their power through tabulating the physical resources at their disposal. Early statistical methods, Wiggins and Jones contend, were developed to justify eugenics, with Francis Galton and other scientists attempting to quantify supposed racial differences. Other milestones include the invention of digital computation to break German cyphers during WWII, mid-century concerns about the federal government's collection of personal data, the commercialization of data by tech giants, and the proliferation of AI. The authors emphasize that mass data collection was not inevitable, and to ameliorate corporate and state abuses of privacy and power, Wiggins and Jones advocate for stronger regulation of the tech industry and collective action by its employees. Though some of the mathematical background may go over the heads of lay readers, the history is nonetheless trenchant and successfully illuminates the contingency of data's privileged place in modern decision-making. Incisive and thoroughly researched, this one's a winner. (Mar.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Wiggins, a professor of applied mathematics at Columbia University and chief data scientist at the New York Times, and Jones (Reckoning with Matter), a Guggenheim fellow and history professor at Columbia, take listeners through the history of data, beginning with the origin of statistics as a separate discipline and its widespread acceptance as the backbone of the scientific method. Narrator Eric Jason Martin carefully presents the authors' arguments that data and statistics have played a pivotal role in history, from legitimizing racism during the eugenics movement to assisting the U.S. government in raising armies and levying taxes, based on information gathered during the national census. Today, data, statistics, and algorithms wield enormous power and are used by social media and corporations to attract customers, track customer spending, and predict future behaviors and outcomes. Martin narrates this book, written for laypeople, with the clarity needed to cut through a complex topic. VERDICT Wiggins and Jones's analysis of how data has been gathered, interpreted, and disseminated over the past century raises many questions about how data will be used in future endeavors. A thought-provoking and well-researched discussion that should appeal to fans of Sinan Aral's The Hype Machine.--Laura Trombley
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A wide-ranging examination of the evolution of statistics, mathematics, and data. When did our personal information become a commodity manipulated by algorithms? How did marketing become so intrusive? Why does every transaction add another piece to our digital trail? Wiggins, a professor of applied mathematics at Columbia and chief data scientist at the New York Times, and Jones, a Guggenheim fellow and history professor at Columbia, track the process over several centuries, reiterating and expanding a course they teach. Governments have always wanted to know how many people they ruled, but near the end of the 18th century, the idea took hold that statistics could reveal rich detail about a society, including averages and deviations from norms. Military and industrial applications evolved, and the first computers were designed to turn raw figures into useful outcomes. When the internet and e-commerce arrived, there was a quantum leap in data collection, with new math techniques to underpin the concept of "data science." Government-run surveillance systems collected vast amounts of personal material, manifested in customized, targeted advertising. Wiggins and Jones point out that all this happened without much public discussion, and they worry about the impact on privacy and democracy. "We don't have to use algorithmic decision systems, even in contexts where their use may be technically feasible," they write. "Ads based on mass surveillance are not necessary elements of our society. We don't need to build systems that learn the stratifications of the past and present and reinforce them in the future." The authors propose remedies, including the revision of the legal provisions that give platforms immunity from the effect of user-generated content, but they admit that reining in the tech giants will be difficult. The real value of the book, however, is that it provides important background for understanding the road behind and the path ahead. An informative dive into the history of statistics and data, providing context for the debate over information and who controls it. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
