Algorithms at Work by Brian Christian


Algorithms at Work
Title : Algorithms at Work
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : -
Language : English
Format Type : Audiobook
Number of Pages : -
Publication : Published January 1, 2022

In this highly intoxicating original series, researchers Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths, authors of the best-selling smash hit, Algorithms to Live By, tackle some of the biggest ideas in computer science today—and, in the process, illuminate cutting-edge ways of understanding how we live, work and play.

They take us inside a tomato factory where no one has a job title to shed new light on decentralized network structures; visit an Olympic fencer to explore the game theory of when to make the first move; and tour the birthplace of the internet, a buzzing laboratory on the border of France and Switzerland, to examine the true—and truly human—limits to what a network of nearly one million machines can achieve.

Along the way, they interview key figures in the world of computer science—from Google's Vice President of Infrastructure Eric Brewer to ‘the godfather of distributed systems’ Leslie Lamport—plus preeminent neuroscientists, sociologists, and even the co-founder of Instagram.

Algorithms at Work is a playful and deeply inquisitive exploration of the overlapping questions of computer science and society. The result is six episodes that examine the world in unexpected and memorable ways.

Algorithms at Work Reviews

  • Graeme Newell

    What a fantastic little book! This audio documentary series dives deep into how computers make decisions, then discusses how those principles can be applied to human decision making. The author interviews an amazingly wide variety of people in different professions, then shows how each of them is applying these techniques to produce excellence.

    This is a wonderfully entertaining book, full of fascinating stories and insightful takeaways. I highly recommend it.

  • Debabrata Ghosh

    It's been a while since I got such a kick out of a podcast. Expert and laymen alike should enjoy this fantastic foray into the world of computer science algorithms combining the practical applications even going beyond into the nooks and corners of real-world ideas.

  • Heather M Wilson

    Fascinating. Really excellent explanations of complex concepts, often in everyday examples from playing poker to using ATMs to standing in lines.

    I selected this title because of work I did in my last role which was IT adjacent, but now I feel dangerously informed.