The Formula

October 13, 2014
Dormehl (The Apple Revolution), a journalist and technology writer for Fast Company, provides relevant insight into the algorithms that shape our world, how they benefit us, and what they might mean for the future. The author focuses on four main areas generally thought of as being very human—personal data, love and romance, society, and art. The use of anecdotes, history, and examples of existing algorithms makes this information-rich narrative fascinating for experts and laymen alike. The author even broaches deeper questions about whether everything can be described by algorithms, whether we should even try, and what problems and ethical issues might arise from the increasingly widespread use of algorithms. Unsettling consequences of increased data collection and reliance on computers are discussed, such as the close monitoring of employee efficiency, the “filter bubble” that determines which search results an individual will see, and use of algorithms to profile people likely to commit crimes or children likely to misbehave in school. This book thoroughly explores the idea that “technology is neither good nor bad—nor is it neutral” and makes a great resource for anyone seeking to understand the intersection of technology and humanity in the 21st century. Agent: Maggie Hanbury, Hanbury Agency, U.K.

October 1, 2014
The story of the myriad ways that algorithms are impacting our lives, from Fast Company senior writer Dormehl. An algorithm is a series of step-by-step instructions, these days typically carried out by a computer for speed in regard to the abundance of data being considered. The author zeroes in on the metadata and how to navigate through all the information available to arrive at an actionable conclusion. So can a reductive formula provide answers for complex, multifaceted questions? Set aside objectivity and techno-rationality and take the formulation of algorithms as a given, the inputs chosen for all sorts of reasons. Concentrate instead on the algorithms that Dormehl presents for our deliberation. One involves reading key biomarkers to preventatively track bodily health, especially in those instances where the problem is discernable only in blood work. Another may track your clothes-buying preferences on the Internet. One feels like Big Brother, the other like your mother. There is no sense that Dormehl is trying to sell you anything. He chooses his anecdotes wisely, and he is mindful of the innate distrust experienced when talking about the "quantifiable self" and its zealots, with all their techno-determinism and statistical inferences. The author is in search of patterns, and he takes into account the "unmeasurable" ("personality traits, emotional attributes, sociability"), chaos theory, cultural conditions and existential crises, as well as Steven Pinker's humanistic counteralgorithm regarding marriage: "[Y]ou're in love because you can't help it." Still, Dormehl tenders a good number of useful algorithms, including predictive policing (which requires significant oversight to avoid discrimination of all types) and algorithmic sampling for the tedium of legal discovery. To avoid our yearning for easy answers and belief in skin-deep objectivity, the author suggests ways to avoid manipulation and explores the problems of transparency and taming unchecked governmental policymaking. The algorithmization of life reveals both good and dark sides, and in this lucid book, Dormehl, a good-sider, rightly cautions to never lose a measure of control.

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October 15, 2014

This is a timely read for today's computerized and marketing-driven society. British journalist Dormehl (The Apple Revolution) tackles real-world applications of algorithms and their long-term potential in our lives. Using examples from various fields--including business, movies, law enforcement, and art--the author makes a potentially dry topic interesting. Some of the applications are more social or fun in nature (such as those used in online dating or to predict celebrity divorce rates) while others are serious (algorithms to help with law enforcement or diagnose illness). In addition to showing how calculations cover virtually every aspect of modern human life, Dormehl delves into whether everything should, in fact, be subject to "algorithmization." On this point, the answer is not cut and dried. While Dormehl concludes that the answer, at least right now, is "no," he leads an intriguing discussion on how the power of algorithms will cause more jobs to be done by computers rather than humans. As he puts it, "fewer and fewer workers will be needed to produce the goods and services for the global population." This book gives readers much to think about. VERDICT For those interested in the role numbers play in the broader context of society.--Leigh Mihlrad, FDIC Lib., Washington, DC

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2014
Technology writer Dormehl (The Apple Revolution, 2012) wants to be very clear: this is not the history of the mathematical procedure known as an algorithm; it's a look at the many ways in which algorithms affect us, often without our being aware of it. He tells us, for example, about a company that uses algorithms to predict incoming calls and determine optimal call-routing procedures; about a researcher who created algorithms to read people's Twitter feeds and construct mini-biographies of them; about a company that analyzes myriad pieces of data to predict how profitable a movie might be, before a single scene has been filmed. Before we get too paranoid, we should also be aware that algorithms aren't magic, and they aren't infallible; for example, it's very difficult to write algorithms to govern the application of laws because the laws themselves are open to so much interpretation. But still: they are being used more and more to understand, predict, and even, to a certain extent, influence what we think and do. Food for thought.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)