Algorithms to Live By, Brian Christian
Algorithms to Live By, Brian Christian
135 Rating(s)
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Algorithms to Live By
The Computer Science of Human Decisions

Author: Brian Christian, Tom Griffiths

Narrator: Brian Christian

Unabridged: 11 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/19/2016

Synopsis

A fascinating exploration of how computer algorithms can be applied to our everyday lives, helping to solve common decision-making problems and illuminate the workings of the human mindAll our lives are constrained by limited space and time, limits that give rise to a particular set of problems. What should we do, or leave undone, in a day or a lifetime? How much messiness should we accept? What balance of new activities and familiar favorites is the most fulfilling? These may seem like uniquely human quandaries, but they are not: computers, too, face the same constraints, so computer scientists have been grappling with their version of such problems for decades. And the solutions they've found have much to teach us.In a dazzlingly interdisciplinary work, acclaimed author Brian Christian (who holds degrees in computer science, philosophy, and poetry, and works at the intersection of all three) and Tom Griffiths (a UC Berkeley professor of cognitive science and psychology) show how the simple, precise algorithms used by computers can also untangle very human questions. They explain how to have better hunches and when to leave things to chance, how to deal with overwhelming choices and how best to connect with others. From finding a spouse to finding a parking spot, from organizing one's inbox to understanding the workings of human memory, Algorithms to Live By transforms the wisdom of computer science into strategies for human living.

About Brian Christian

Brian Christian is the author of The Most Human Human, a Wall Street Journal bestseller, New York Times editors’ choice, and a New Yorker favorite book of the year. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Wired, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and The Paris Review, as well as in scientific journals such as Cognitive Science, and has been translated into eleven languages. He lives in San Francisco.

About Tom Griffiths

Tom Griffiths is a professor of psychology and cognitive science at UC Berkeley, where he directs the Computational Cognitive Science Lab. He has published more than 150 scientific papers on topics ranging from cognitive psychology to cultural evolution, and has received awards from the National Science Foundation, the Sloan Foundation, the American Psychological Association, and the Psychonomic Society, among others. He lives in Berkeley.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Brian on April 21, 2016

I was captivated by much of this book. It's the perfect antidote to the argument you often hear from young maths students - 'What's the point? I'll never use this in real life!' This often comes up with algebra (which often is useful), but reflects the way that we rarely cover the most applicable bi......more

Goodreads review by David on October 26, 2017

I enjoy thinking about algorithms as they are applied to technical problems. So, when I saw this book, I thought, "This is a book written just for me." And, that assessment was absolutely correct. It is a fascinating book, all about how sophisticated algorithms are applicable to everyday problems. Th......more

Goodreads review by Amir on April 07, 2017

Okay, I loved this book. So what is it about? The big picture We encounter many problems in our daily life, for instance, should I park my car here or proceed with the hope of finding a free spot a bit further? Should I try new restaurants or just stick to good old ones I know? How can I find my life'......more

Goodreads review by Arunothia on April 28, 2019

In this book the authors explain famous algorithms in real world context. My notes from this book - (1) Optimal Stopping (2) Old people don't lose memory - they have so much of it that it slows their system. (3) Procrastination can be seen as an efficient scheduling problem with wrong priority. (4) Pre......more

Goodreads review by Riku on February 14, 2018

A simple algorithm to conceive of literary plots could be to slot them as belonging to one of these categories: Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Self, Man vs. Man & Man vs. Society. Brian & Tom enlists findings from computer science to guide us through these. Algorithms here are the shortcuts or even the int......more

Quotes

“An entertaining, intelligently presented book.”—Kirkus Reviews“Practical, everyday advice which will easily provoke an interest in computer science.”—ValueWalk“All of this information is presented in an interesting, humorous, and thought-provoking way, including quotes that really make you contemplate the meaning of ‘life, the universe, and everything.’”—EE Times“An important study in how to make better decisions. If you like nerding out about mental models, thinking in stages, game theory, etc., then you’ll probably like [this book].”—Epeak World News, 101 Best Audiobooks of All Time

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