Big Data

A revelatory exploration of the hottest trend in technology and the dramatic impact it will have on the economy, science, and society at large. Which paint color is most likely to tell you that a used car is in good shape? How can officials identify the most dangerous New York City manholes before they explode? And how did Google searches predict the spread of the H1N1 flu outbreak? The key to answering these questions, and many more, is big data. “Big data” refers to our burgeoning ability to crunch vast collections of information, analyze it instantly, and draw sometimes profoundly surprising conclusions from it. This emerging science can translate myriad phenomena—from the price of airline tickets to the text of millions of books—into searchable form, and uses our increasing computing power to unearth epiphanies that we never could have seen before. A revolution on par with the Internet or perhaps even the printing press, big data will change the way we think about business, health, politics, education, and innovation in the years to come. It also poses fresh threats, from the inevitable end of privacy as we know it to the prospect of being penalized for things we haven’t even done yet, based on big data’s ability to predict our future behavior. In this brilliantly clear, often surprising work, two leading experts explain what big data is, how it will change our lives, and what we can do to protect ourselves from its hazards. Big Data is the first big book about the next big thing. www.big-data-book.com In this essential guide, two leading experts explore the frontiers of the data revolution, revealing: The Shift from Causality to Correlation: Why the obsession with finding out “why” is giving way to the practical power of knowing “what”—and how it’s changing science, business, and decision-making. Data Mining in Action: From Google predicting flu outbreaks to officials identifying dangerous manholes before they explode, see how powerful algorithms are already shaping our world. The Dark Side of Data: An unflinching look at the new threats big data poses, from the end of privacy to the chilling prospect of being penalized for things you haven't even done yet. The Future of Business and Society: A clear-eyed look at how this revolution will transform the economy, health, politics, and innovation for years to come.