Data-ism: Inside the Big Data Revolution - Softcover

Lohr, Steve

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1780745184 ISBN 13: 9781780745183

Publisher: Oneworld Publications, 2015

Synopsis

Coal, iron ore and oil were the fuel of the Industrial Revolution. Today's economies and governments are powered by something far less tangible: the explosive abundance of digital data.

Steve Lohr, the New York Times' chief technology reporter, charts the ascent of Data-ism, the dominating philosophy of the day in which data is at the forefront of everything and decisions of all kinds are based on data analysis rather than experience and intuition. Taking us behind the scenes and introducing the DOPs (Data Oriented-People), the key personalities behind this revolution, he reveals how consuming the bits and bytes of the masses is transforming the nature of business and governance in unforeseen ways. But what are losing in the process and what new dangers await?

About this title

Review:

“Steve Lohr lays out the promise, the personalities, and the perils of big data in an entertaining and enlightening book.”

(Hal Varian, chief economist at Google)

“Big data has the potential to make us healthier and more effective. Learn why, and what will happen, in Steve Lohr’s important new book.”

(Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google)

“The digitization of business has created staggering amounts of data and unprecedented opportunities for data-driven decision-making. If you want to understand this new territory, Steve Lohr is the trusted, insightful guide you need.”

(Erik Brynjolfsson, co-author of The Second Machine Age: Work, Progress and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies)

“If you want to understand where our world is headed, you need to read this book. It goes beneath the surface of Big Data to provide a penetrating view of the people exploring the edges of how to extract more value from the data.”

(John Hagel, Co-Chairman, Center for the Edge)

“Chock full of anecdotes, insights, and behind-the-scenes profiles of modern-day data gods such as Cloudera’s Jeff Hammerbacher and IBM’s Michael Haydock, Data-ism is a must-read for understanding Big Data’s impact on society and in your own life.”

(Oren Etzioni, CEO, Allen Institute For Artificial Intelligence)

From the Back Cover:

By one estimate, 90 percent of all of the data in history was created in the last two years. In 2014, International Data Corporation calculated the data universe at 4.4 zettabytes, or 4.4 trillion gigabytes. That much information, in volume, could fill enough slender iPad Air tablets to create a stack two-thirds of the way to the moon. Now, that's Big Data.

Coal, iron ore, and oil were the key productive assets that fueled the Industrial Revolution. The vital raw material of today's information economy is data.

In Data-ism, New York Times reporter Steve Lohr explains how big-data technology is ushering in a revolution in proportions that promise to be the basis of the next wave of efficiency and innovation across the economy. But more is at work here than technology. Big data is also the vehicle for a point of view, or philosophy, about how decisions will be--and perhaps should be--made in the future. Lohr investigates the benefits of data while also examining its dark side.

Data-ism is about this next phase, in which vast Internet-scale data sets are used for discovery and prediction in virtually every field. It shows how this new revolution will change decision making--by relying more on data and analysis, and less on intuition and experience--and transform the nature of leadership and management. Focusing on young entrepreneurs at the forefront of data science as well as on giant companies such as IBM that are making big bets on data science for the future of their businesses, Data-ism is a field guide to what is ahead, explaining how individuals and institutions will need to exploit, protect, and manage data to stay competitive in the coming years. With rich examples of how the rise of big data is affecting everyday life, Data-ism also raises provocative questions about policy and practice that have wide implications for everyone.

The age of data-ism is here. But are we ready to handle its consequences, good and bad?

About this edition

• Publisher: Oneworld Publications
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1780745184
• ISBN 13: 9781780745183
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256