Chapter Overview

Chapter 1: Big data provides insights we could not discover by analyzing data on a smaller scale.
Chapter 2: Data is increasingly being collected and put to use in all aspects of our lives, from the size of our bums to the way we walk.
Chapter 3: Big data frees us from the limitations of using small samples of data to represent whole populations.
Chapter 4: Vast sets of messier data can be more useful than smaller, more accurate ones.
Chapter 5: Big data does not tell us why two things are related, just that they are, but even this is often good enough.
Chapter 6: Although data is generally collected for a specific purpose, there are often secondary applications that hold even greater value.
Chapter 7: Anyone can spot new opportunities to create value from the data around them – you just need the right mindset.
Chapter 8: Combining sets of data can create greater value than the individual parts.
Chapter 9: Online services such as Facebook record everything we do on their sites and use this data to enhance the service they offer.
Chapter 10: Current privacy laws and anonymization methods are ineffective and inefficient when applied to Big Data.
Chapter 11: Big data facilitates the prediction of criminal behavior, but we must never judge someone before they have actually committed a crime.
Chapter 12: Being overly data-driven can be perilous: we may be measuring the wrong thing, incentivizing the wrong behavior or relying on inaccurate data.

Description

Big Data provides an insightful look at why a change to “big data” is a major shift in how we collect, use and think about the data around us. It provides great explanations and examples of how individuals and companies already ahead of the curve are using the tools of big data to create value and profit. Casting an eye forward, the book also outlines the future implications for a big-data society in terms of the risks, opportunities and legal implications.

About the Authors

Viktor Mayer-Schönberger was on the faculty of Harvard’s Kennedy School for over ten years before taking up the position of professor of Internet Governance and Regulation at Oxford University. He is also the author of Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age.

Kenneth Cukier is the data editor of the Economist, and writes widely about what is happening in the world of big data. His articles, covering technology, business and economics, have appeared in the New York Times, Foreign Affairs and the Financial Times.

Big Data

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Chapter Overview

Chapter 1: Big data provides insights we could not discover by analyzing data on a smaller scale.

Chapter 2: Data is increasingly being collected and put to use in all aspects of our lives, from the size of our bums to the way we walk.

Chapter 3: Big data frees us from the limitations of using small samples of data to represent whole populations.

Chapter 4: Vast sets of messier data can be more useful than smaller, more accurate ones.

Chapter 5: Big data does not tell us why two things are related, just that they are, but even this is often good enough.

Chapter 6: Although data is generally collected for a specific purpose, there are often secondary applications that hold even greater value.

Chapter 7: Anyone can spot new opportunities to create value from the data around them – you just need the right mindset.

Chapter 8: Combining sets of data can create greater value than the individual parts.

Chapter 9: Online services such as Facebook record everything we do on their sites and use this data to enhance the service they offer.

Chapter 10: Current privacy laws and anonymization methods are ineffective and inefficient when applied to Big Data.

Chapter 11: Big data facilitates the prediction of criminal behavior, but we must never judge someone before they have actually committed a crime.

Chapter 12: Being overly data-driven can be perilous: we may be measuring the wrong thing, incentivizing the wrong behavior or relying on inaccurate data.

Description

Who Should Listen

About the Authors