Everybody Lies

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz Bloomsbury $24.99

Mary Ann Elliott

TRAINED as an economist and philosopher, the author is a former data scientist at Google.

The title of his book is perhaps a step too far; however his researches on the internet reveal uncomfortable results that include racism, hypocrisy and outright dishonesty.

For example, Stephens-Davidowitz says that so-called “undecided voters” aren’t undecided at all. Similarly, the polls predicted a heavy turnout of African-American voters in favour of Clinton. It didn’t happen.

He reviews the link between education and financial success, and draws our attention to the keywords of lying and unconscious biases, maintaining that today educational standards are not determined by the classroom but rather by the responses of thousands of (often anonymous) internet users.

The ability of big data to now predict outcomes and even behaviour is both tantalising and sobering.

One can mislead by unrepresentative and selective, even subjective samples, using random quirks and generalisations which seem to pass under the radar.

Can the traits of a population be reflected in one example? Illustrations are there in plain sight.

Will scientists and observers of human nature continue to rely on and respond to statistics and data?

Or are these rendered woefully ineffective because of hidden bias in our huge database world?

This book offers a whole new way of studying the mind and seeing ourselves anew while questioning “convenient truths” and conventional wisdom. It’s a witty, insightful and thought-provoking read.