Anushka Mokosh
Matryona Marzanna
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2012
- Messages
- 2,964
Anyone read it?
The book is a decent enough introduction to the issue at hand for someone unaware of the trappings of Big Data era, but at times it felt like its agenda was less to warn than to fear-monger. Even the simplest issues are at times catastrophized into a world-ending scenario which felt rather silly.
As a young data scientist with a strong background in statistics, I am aware I was not meant to be the core audience since the book is written in a rather pedantic style simply listing existing models and how they fit to the criteria by which the author defined the WMDs as opposed to going into the specifics of the models, but the book was too vague about how those models work, a sin the author points out as being one of the biggest ones about WMDs, and too repetitive for my general taste. I do get that the idea of the structure was to showcase that everyone is harmed by the WMDs, but the structuring chosen is not suitable for that particular lesson. The lesson ultimately given could have been driven home in much less pages.
Nonetheless, it is one of rare books attempting to illuminate the issue for wider audiences and I somewhat liked it if for nothing else then for providing us with a concise list of further readings on specific issues highlighted in the book.
As a young data scientist with a strong background in statistics, I am aware I was not meant to be the core audience since the book is written in a rather pedantic style simply listing existing models and how they fit to the criteria by which the author defined the WMDs as opposed to going into the specifics of the models, but the book was too vague about how those models work, a sin the author points out as being one of the biggest ones about WMDs, and too repetitive for my general taste. I do get that the idea of the structure was to showcase that everyone is harmed by the WMDs, but the structuring chosen is not suitable for that particular lesson. The lesson ultimately given could have been driven home in much less pages.
Nonetheless, it is one of rare books attempting to illuminate the issue for wider audiences and I somewhat liked it if for nothing else then for providing us with a concise list of further readings on specific issues highlighted in the book.
