Algorithms to Live By
The Computer Science of Human Decisions
Ratings77
Average rating3.9
15
The Computer Science of Human Decisions
Ratings77
Average rating3.9
'Algorithms to Live By' looks at the simple, precise algorithms that computers use to solve the complex 'human' problems that we face, and discovers what they can tell us about the nature and origin of the mind.
Reviews with the most likes.
I enjoyed the first chapter and the chapter on distribution curves (standard, exponential, Erlang) and corresponding prediction models.
Much of the rest of the book was frustrating to read. It tries to cover so many topics so thinly that it barely gets into one observation before it leaves it behind for another.
On page 74 it starts into an interesting discussion of sports tournaments and mentions Lewis Carroll's pamphlet on lawn tennis brackets. But then, in less than a page, it skips over Carroll's proposed solution (because it's an “awkward take”).
Or the page on unlimited vacation time for employees (which features a quote from a friend of mine) barely addresses a single objection and then moves on to other topics.
Instead of introducing readers to the complexity and nuances of the difficult and often decades-long dilemmas of computer science, it turns them all into misleading single page summaries.
I would have preferred to read a book where they picked half as many topics and discussed them more thoroughly.
Reading this book confirmed a new personal approach to avoiding books that will be disappointing:
- About 250 pages long
- Subject is vaguely scientific or mathematical
- Uses the Gotham font or another geometric sans anywhere
This book satisfies all three and now I know that I should avoid buying this kind of book.
I picked up this book at the recommendation of a friend, and as someone who studied Computer Science at university, I wanted to love it. I did find this book interesting, but I also found myself skimming a lot. I felt that some of the chapters were quite long and I lost interest towards the end. I'm not sure it got the right balance between hard CS concepts and their real-life applications.
I listened to this as an audiobook which led to listening to a lot of cyclical chatter. In general, I appreciated how it took a different lens to everyday occurrences.
I picked up this book at the recommendation of a friend, and as someone who studied Computer Science at university, I wanted to love it. I did find this book interesting, but I also found myself skimming a lot. I felt that some of the chapters were quite long and I lost interest towards the end. I'm not sure it got the right balance between hard CS concepts and their real-life applications.
