This novel approach to decision-making sets out to disrupt our usual methodology by suggesting that trawling through the data already collected on certain subjects will tend to lead to a more successful outcome than relying on preconceived assumptions and ‘gut feelings’.
This is no more evident than in the first chapter, which deals with relationships. Could you (would you?) rely on data to pick your partner to ensure a happy marriage? Stephens-Davidowitz lets the reader down immediately: data will not give you a soulmate. What the data (gleaned from the plethora of online dating websites) does reveal though is the common thread among those who’ve had successful relationships. It seems success in this realm is dependent on individual happiness.
The book mentions ‘success’ a lot and – relationships apart – that consistently means ‘wealth’. (Other worthy metrics mightn’t be in the data?) ‘Luck’ does occur, but the data says that success will come from seizing the opportunity luck offers. The data also reveals that entrepreneurs aren’t all wunderkind, with success achievable until a person’s sixties. And quite candidly, there’s a chapter where the author tests his own looks via data to see which appearance affords him the best chance of surviving competency bias.
Stephens-Davidowitz is an ex-Google employee. He’s a self-confessed nerd, obsessed about baseball and Seinfeld. He also mentions his previous book, Everybody Lies as often as he makes nerdy/corny jokes. His best asides are in the frequent footnotes.
There are gems in this but it’s a little too USA-centric for me.
Reviewed by Bob Moore
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Seth Stephens-Davidowitz is a data scientist, New York Times bestselling author, and sought-after keynote speaker.
His 2017 book, Everybody Lies, on the secrets revealed in internet data, was a New York Times bestseller; a PBS NewsHour Book of the Year; and an Economist Book of the Year. It included a foreward by Steven Pinker, who wrote, “With unflagging curiosity and an endearing wit, [Seth] points to a new path for social science in the twenty-first century.”
Seth has worked as a data scientist at Google; a visiting lecturer at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; and a contributing op-ed writer for the New York Times.
Seth has consulted for top companies, including Citadel, East Rock Capital, TCI, GSK, TetraPak, and Oracle. He has spoken at the Sohn Conference, one of the most high-profile events in the finance industry, and to companies including Lazard, Weight Watchers, Booz Allen Hamilton, Abbott, Nasdaq, Google, and dozens of others.
He received his BA in philosophy, Phi Beta Kappa, from Stanford, and his PhD in economics from Harvard.
In high school, Seth wrote obituaries for the local newspaper, the Bergen Record, and was a juggler in theatrical shows. He now lives in Brooklyn and is a passionate fan of the Mets, Knicks, Jets, and Leonard Cohen.
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