Dataclysm: Who We Are (When We Think No One’s Looking)

Christian Rudder is a co-founder and the analytics team member of the dating site OkCupid. Writer Rudder has made use of the massive amount of data collected by his website. He ventures beyond the two basic and common data perceptions – government spying and commercial manipulation to encourage purchases. Rather, he has added a third use – an unprecedented look into the human story.

The OkCupid site yields not only the responses to its in depth questionnaires, but also the transactions or communications between site users. Much is revealed regarding our prejudices and preferences through text and graphic depictions.

Data geeks and everyone else will benefit from reading this fascinating mainstream science book. It is definitely not in the pop science genre. Rudder’s smooth writing style is surprising for a data person. Perhaps his Harvard education included writing classes or he has an excellent editor. The comfortable sentence structure provides a balance of tech data and human warmth.

It’s only fair to note that Dataclysm requires an attentive reader who has a commitment to the subject matter. The payoff is worth the effort.