As software only becomes ever more sophisticated and powerful—deciding who might get hired or fired, given a loan or denied, convicted or paroled—perhaps the most important function of this entertaining and educational book is in revealing the limiting assumptions, narrow boundaries and tight restrictions of algorithms, and how different they can be from the messy world of humans.

A remarkable book... A solid, research-based book that’s applicable to real life. The algorithms the authors discuss are, in fact, more applicable to real-life problems than I’d have ever predicted.... It’s well worth the time to find a copy of Algorithms to Live By and dig deeper.”

—Forbes

“By the end of the book, I was convinced. Not because I endorse the idea of living like some hyper-rational Vulcan, but because computing algorithms could be a surprisingly useful way to embrace the messy compromises of real, non-Vulcan life.”

—The Guardian (UK)

“I absolutely reveled in this book... It's the perfect antidote to the argument you often hear from young math students: ‘What's the point? I'll never use this in real life!’... The whole business, whether it's the relative simplicity of the 37% rule or the mind-twisting possibilities of game theory, is both potentially practical and highly enjoyable as presented here. Recommended.”

—Popular Science (UK)

“An entertaining, intelligently presented book... Craftily programmed to build from one good idea to the next... The value of being aware of algorithmic thinking—of the thornier details of ‘human algorithm design,’ as Christian and Griffiths put it—is not just better problem solving, but also greater insight into the human mind. And who doesn’t want to know how we tick?”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Compelling and entertaining, Algorithms to Live By is packed with practical advice about how to use time, space, and effort more efficiently. And it’s a fascinating exploration of the workings of computer science and the human mind. Whether you want to optimize your to-do list, organize your closet, or understand human memory, this is a great read.”

—Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit

“In this remarkably lucid, fascinating, and compulsively readable book, Christian and Griffiths show how much we can learn from computers. We’ve all heard about the power of algorithms—but Algorithms to Live By actually explains, brilliantly, how they work, and how we can take advantage of them to make better decisions in our own lives.”

—Alison Gopnik, coauthor of The Scientist in the Crib

“I’ve been waiting for a book to come along that merges computational models with human psychology—and Christian and Griffiths have succeeded beyond all expectations. This is a wonderful book, written so that anyone can understand the computer science that runs our world—and more importantly, what it means to our lives.”

—David Eagleman, author of Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain

Christian and Griffiths argue that even in our connected lives we are always a few steps behind the information necessary to make the best decisions or follow the best strategy. Using everyday examples, such as selecting a new apartment and choosing a dating companion, they advocate for an approach similar to computer algorithms. Christian provides a serviceable, if geeky, and youthful-sounding narration that is somewhat engaging. To be sure, this audiobook is primarily for those literate in the areas of probability theory, decision-making logic, and related schemes. It’s a highly theoretical examination of the parameters of the human mind facing time and resource constraints. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

2016-02-15
We are always connected: this is both our blessing and our curse. The problem "is that we're always buffered," just a step behind the flood of information flowing toward and past us, all the books and movies and other ingredients of what the authors call "bufferbloat." What we need is a good strategy and filter, a greater cybernetic component in the way we think. Therewith the value of this book, seemingly loosely organized but in fact craftily programmed to build from one good idea to the next. The value of being aware of algorithmic thinking—of the thornier details of "human algorithm design," as Christian (The Most Human Human: What Artificial Intelligence Teaches Us About Being Alive, 2011) and Griffiths (Psychology and Cognitive Science/Univ. of California) put it—is not just better problem solving, but also greater insight into the human mind. And who doesn't want to know how we tick? The authors lead us into the labyrinth with lessons on such matters as improved search and sort—sorting being "key to the human experience of information," and thus a good thing to ponder, whether on how to organize your T-shirt drawer or your dissertation. The procrastinators and untidy among us will rejoice in knowing that sometimes a mess is not just OK, but even "the optimal choice," as long as your search mechanism is good enough. Elsewhere, Christian and Griffiths apply Bayes-ian principles to gambling; if the reader does not emerge from the casino a winner, at least he or she may lose a little less. Most of the examples in this dense but lucid account are emphatically of the real world, but some are more meaningful than others: most people will find it better to know when to fold 'em, for instance, than to understand why Katy Perry can never possibly reply to all her fan mail. An entertaining, intelligently presented book for the numerate and computer literate.