Thom reviewed Hello world by Hannah Fry
Review of 'Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
The subtitle is key, because this isn't a book about software engineering. It does not examine the code of algorithms or any complex math. What it does do is discuss how humans and algorithms interact, and it does this beautifully. Interesting, and at times humorous - recommended!
In Hello World, author Hannah Fry examines some algorithms, from chess to criminal justice to art, both successes and failures. As she says in the introduction, this is primarily a book about humans - who we are, where we are going, and how that is changing through technology. Her most important point is that we shouldn't think of algorithms as an authority. The best world is one where humans work with transparent algorithms, assisted but not overruled, and very much held accountable.
