Publishers Weekly
01/23/2023
How did numbers become the “obvious way to understand and exercise power”? ask Columbia math professor Wiggins (Data Science in Context) and Columbia history professor Jones (Reckoning with Matter) in this edifying chronicle. Tracing the rise of data and statistics, the authors begin at the end of the 18th century as European states gained strength and sought to understand their power through tabulating the physical resources at their disposal. Early statistical methods, Wiggins and Jones contend, were developed to justify eugenics, with Francis Galton and other scientists attempting to quantify supposed racial differences. Other milestones include the invention of digital computation to break German cyphers during WWII, mid-century concerns about the federal government’s collection of personal data, the commercialization of data by tech giants, and the proliferation of AI. The authors emphasize that mass data collection was not inevitable, and to ameliorate corporate and state abuses of privacy and power, Wiggins and Jones advocate for stronger regulation of the tech industry and collective action by its employees. Though some of the mathematical background may go over the heads of lay readers, the history is nonetheless trenchant and successfully illuminates the contingency of data’s privileged place in modern decision-making. Incisive and thoroughly researched, this one’s a winner. (Mar.)
DJ Patil
"This is the first comprehensive look at the history of data and how power has played a critical role in shaping the history. It’s a must read for any data scientist about how we got here and what we need to do to ensure that data works for everyone."
Renée DiResta
"From uncanny targeted ads to self-driving car crashes, stories about unexpected and unintended consequences of algorithmic action in a data-driven world appear in media coverage at a steady clip. How should we make sense of them? Chris Wiggins and Matthew L. Jones have delivered an essential authoritative history of the increasing power of data, how new capabilities have transformed society, and what we must do to ensure that today’s technology reflects our norms and values."
Gina Neff
"A leading data scientist and a historian of science walk into a classroom, resulting in this ambitious and bold book packed with stories about the role of data in our society. Wiggins and Jones plainly and forcefully trace why we ended up with the big data mess that we have now and what we might do about it. Instead of platitudes, they argue how today’s fights over surveillance capitalism, government access to data, and big tech could shape the future of data’s power in society. How Data Happened is a must-read for everyone interested in how data is changing our lives."
danah boyd
"In a tour de force, Wiggins and Jones put data in context so that we can see the values, politics, and controversies that shape our present reality. This book is truly a semester-long class bottled into a narrative fit for vacation."
Renee DiResta
"An essential, authoritative history of the increasing power of data, how new capabilities have transformed society, and what we must do to ensure that today’s technology reflects our norms and values."
Matthew J. Salganik
"Sometimes the best way to understand the present and prepare for the future is to look to the past. This insight is at the core of How Data Happened, an ambitious and thoughtful work. Wiggins and Jones have worked together—as data scientist and historian—to write a book that will reshape how you will see the relationship between data and society."
Kirkus Reviews
2022-12-14
A wide-ranging examination of the evolution of statistics, mathematics, and data.
When did our personal information become a commodity manipulated by algorithms? How did marketing become so intrusive? Why does every transaction add another piece to our digital trail? Wiggins, a professor of applied mathematics at Columbia and chief data scientist at the New York Times, and Jones, a Guggenheim fellow and history professor at Columbia, track the process over several centuries, reiterating and expanding a course they teach. Governments have always wanted to know how many people they ruled, but near the end of the 18th century, the idea took hold that statistics could reveal rich detail about a society, including averages and deviations from norms. Military and industrial applications evolved, and the first computers were designed to turn raw figures into useful outcomes. When the internet and e-commerce arrived, there was a quantum leap in data collection, with new math techniques to underpin the concept of “data science.” Government-run surveillance systems collected vast amounts of personal material, manifested in customized, targeted advertising. Wiggins and Jones point out that all this happened without much public discussion, and they worry about the impact on privacy and democracy. “We don’t have to use algorithmic decision systems, even in contexts where their use may be technically feasible,” they write. “Ads based on mass surveillance are not necessary elements of our society. We don’t need to build systems that learn the stratifications of the past and present and reinforce them in the future.” The authors propose remedies, including the revision of the legal provisions that give platforms immunity from the effect of user-generated content, but they admit that reining in the tech giants will be difficult. The real value of the book, however, is that it provides important background for understanding the road behind and the path ahead.
An informative dive into the history of statistics and data, providing context for the debate over information and who controls it.
