Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions

An intriguing investigation at the ways in which computer algorithm insights might be used to improve daily situations, including basic decision-making issues and shedding light on how the mind functions

All of our lives are confined by time and space constraints, which result in a unique set of issues. What ought we should do or neglect throughout a day or a lifetime? To what extent should we tolerate messiness? Which ratio of novel pursuits to well-known favourites yields the greatest fulfilment? These problems may seem to be exclusive to humans, yet computer scientists have been tackling their own version of these problems for decades since computers are subject to the same limitations as humans. And we can learn a lot from the answers they have discovered.

Acclaimed novelist Brian Christian and cognitive scientist Tom Griffiths demonstrate in a stunningly multidisciplinary work how computer algorithms may also clarify very human concerns. They describe how to cope with an abundance of options, how to interact with others most effectively, and how to have superior intuition and when to leave things to chance. Algorithms to Live By converts computer science knowledge into practical advice for everyday life, covering anything from locating a spouse to parking a place, managing one's email to comprehending how memory works.