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Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms Reprint Edition

by Hannah Fry (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,156 ratings
Editors' pick Best Nonfiction
See all formats and editions
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Shortlisted for the 2018 Baillie Gifford Prize and the 2018 Royal Society Investment Science Book Prize

"A beautifully accessible guide.…One of the best books yet written on data and algorithms." ―Times (UK)

If you were accused of a crime, who would you rather decide your sentence―a mathematically consistent algorithm incapable of empathy or a compassionate human judge prone to bias and error? What if you want to buy a driverless car and must choose between one programmed to save as many lives as possible and another that prioritizes the lives of its own passengers? And would you agree to share your family’s full medical history if you were told that it would help researchers find a cure for cancer?

These are just some of the dilemmas that we are beginning to face as we approach the age of the algorithm, when it feels as if the machines reign supreme. Already, these lines of code are telling us what to watch, where to go, whom to date, and even whom to send to jail. But as we rely on algorithms to automate big, important decisions―in crime, justice, healthcare, transportation, and money―they raise questions about what we want our world to look like. What matters most: Helping doctors with diagnosis or preserving privacy? Protecting victims of crime or preventing innocent people being falsely accused?

Hello World takes us on a tour through the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of the algorithms that surround us on a daily basis. Mathematician Hannah Fry reveals their inner workings, showing us how algorithms are written and implemented, and demonstrates the ways in which human bias can literally be written into the code. By weaving in relatable, real world stories with accessible explanations of the underlying mathematics that power algorithms, Hello World helps us to determine their power, expose their limitations, and examine whether they really are improvement on the human systems they replace.

Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    0393357368
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0393357363
  3. Edition
    Reprint
  4. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  5. Publication date
    September 24, 2019
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.7 x 8.3 inches
  8. Print length
    256 pages
  9. See all details
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  1. Build a machine to improve human performance, she explained, and it will lead – ironically – to a reduction in human ability.
    Highlighted by 437 Kindle readers
  2. GPS was invented to launch nuclear missiles and now helps deliver pizzas.
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  3. Sesame Credit, a citizen scoring system used by the Chinese government.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"With refreshing simplicity, Fry explains what AI, machine learning and complicated algorithms really mean."
― Guardian

"Fascinating and funny. I learned something on every page."
― Tom Chivers, Buzzfeed

"An action-packed read during which you will be outraged, provoked, and challenged."
― Cathy O’Neil, author of Weapons of Math Destruction

"This short, sharp book on the power and dangers of algorithms offers one of the clearest explanations of a complex subject."
― Financial Times

"Hannah Fry is one of the best STEM explainers and popularizers today."
― Forbes

"For a reader unfamiliar with the technical aspects of AI, this book offers among the best lay explanations of how algorithms work."
― Science

"Mixing mathematics and storytelling, this book asks the big questions about algorithms and humans―and their future together."
― Literary Hub

"A lucid and timely analysis."
― Booklist (starred review)

"A well-constructed tour of technology and its discontents―timely, too, given the increasing prominence of AI in our daily lives."
― Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Hannah Fry is the author of Hello World. With Adam Rutherford, she hosts the BBC Radio 4 show The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry. She lives in London.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition (September 24, 2019)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393357368
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393357363
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,156 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Hannah Fry

Hannah Fry

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Hannah Fry is an Associate Professor in the mathematics of cities at University College London. In her day job she uses mathematical models to study patterns in human behaviour, and has worked with governments, police forces, health analysts and supermarkets. Her TED talks have amassed millions of views and she has fronted television documentaries for the BBC and PBS; she also hosts the long-running science podcast The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry with the BBC.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
2,156 global ratings
Purchased from local bookstore. Very human and well worth a read!
5 Stars
Purchased from local bookstore. Very human and well worth a read!
This book presents a ton of information and stories, and it discusses them in the most efficient manner I've ever seen. Each chapter feels like its own short documentary, and each section remains relevant to the big picture.If you're looking for a book on how neural networks function, this isn't it. Hello World lies somewhere between the disciplines of philosophy, sociology, technology, and history. Coming to a conclusion isn't the strict goal of this book. Rather, it provides a base for deeper discussion on morality (and our personal roles) when it comes to the advancement of technology.
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Top reviews from the United States

Richard Mcfaul
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2023
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Daily we hear how AI is taking over the world. After reading this, AI, for me, has an entirely new implication. I’m drawn to the ole bromide…”Doubt everything!” and I have never read anything better on both the pros and cons of AI. I’m a physician and agree it will be a great screening tool but not a doctor.
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Ian R. Bruce
4.0 out of 5 stars The mathematics of our modern life
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2023
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A very readable and entertaining overview of how equations and mathematical models are now part of our everyday world. The book feels a bit dated in places -- recent genAI advances, for example. But a fun introduction.
One person found this helpful
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Michael
5.0 out of 5 stars Well Worth Reading
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2018
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The author addresses a subclass of Algorithms (defined p.7ff) and their effects, and potential effects, on society. The subclass of algorithms addressed, which could reasonable be called computer programs, are those that can have a significant effect on people's lives. What she is not talking about are things like the algorithm used to calculate a tangent or to multiply two matrices. The algorithms address range from the massive data collected about people, used for advertising and other purposes, to potential design issues with self-driving cars, medical diagnosis, determining risk in the judicial system or the challenges in facial recognition. These are big tasks and, for the most part, usually considered human functions. Many of the algorithms involved are classed as 'machine-learning'.

The author does a good job of pointing out some of the benefits and problems with these algorithms and provides some suggestions for the future. She did, however, miss one of the most important things to warn against: Do not allow Microsoft to provide any life critical programs.

The best part of the book is the extensive end-notes. Although the author does not go into great details about the algorithms of interest, she does provide plenty of references which are useful for further research.

From reading the book, and my own 40+ years in the computer field, the author appears to be more of a researcher about algorithms than an implementer of algorithms. This results, I think, in a little bit of a lack of understanding about how some algorithms actually work, and what information can be gleaned from their operation (I am especially concerned with the machine-learning programs).

I also strongly recommend the author's other book,  The Mathematics of Love: Patterns, Proofs, and the Search for the Ultimate Equation (TED Books)
37 people found this helpful
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W. Allen
5.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking analysis of algorithms
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2023
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The author presents a series of excellent examples of algorithms that can potentially have a major impact on our lives. Her suggestions of ways to improve the quality of algorithms and to reduce the risks associated with over reliance on biased or poorly understood algorithms is increasingly important in a world where companies and individuals blindly trust software and systems without clearly understanding how they work.
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Ian Howell Street
4.0 out of 5 stars A good start to discussions of algorithms & their role in our lives
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2022
Verified Purchase
This was a good read.

It’s thoughtful & insightful about how we need algorithms in modern society but also points out their pitfalls and suggests how we might do better to manage them (& people).

My only wish is there was a bit more. This book is a great start to a very needed discussion and then ends off with a nice frame of the discussion.

The reader is left to fill in the picture with other books or resources.
2 people found this helpful
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Heavy Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent wake-up call for non-techies
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2021
Verified Purchase
Although I've used computers since the 1980s, I am nothing near tech-savvy when it comes to understanding how they work. But I found this discussion of algorithms to be informative and down to earth. She discusses what algorithms are and why they are useful in many areas, including policing & criminal justice, healthcare, entertainment, retail sales, self-driving cars, etc. She devotes a chapter to the now-well-known truism that "if you are not paying for the data, you ARE the data," and how the info we volunteer so readily is used and monetized. But the most important take-away from her book is her warning that algorithms will NEVER be perfected -- it's impossible -- and anyone who thinks they can be is setting up unrealistic expectations which, she says, are already rampant in the general public. She documents a number of mishaps and errors, some amusing but others downright terrifying (up to and including ruining peoples' lives), resulting from from our over-dependence on and misplaced trust in the infallibility of algorithms. Though software is an inevitable part of everyday life now, I'll never again think of any "smart" technology the same way.
5 people found this helpful
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Marilynne
3.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2019
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Good read....if you are interested in broaden your thinking about mathematics.
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BARRY.N
5.0 out of 5 stars Very Readable and informative
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2023
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A good start with the meaning of algorithms and followed by their usefulness in our modern society living
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Top reviews from other countries

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ANTHONY
5.0 out of 5 stars A surprisingly easy read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 18, 2024
Verified Purchase
Written in a style that is easy to read and digest. Provides a good insight into use of data.
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Edgar González
5.0 out of 5 stars Lo recomiendo ampliamente.
Reviewed in Mexico on September 2, 2020
Verified Purchase
Es un libro genial. Me fascina la simplicidad de las leyes y métodos matemáticos que se describen; por lo tanto, son muy fáciles de comprender.
En cuanto al producto en sí, éste es muy bueno. La pasta dura es genial (aunque lo es en todos los libros) y la calidad de las hojas es buena, me resulta agradable al leerlo.
One person found this helpful
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Ahomer
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesante libro
Reviewed in Spain on May 19, 2021
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Interesante libro lleno de ejemplos. He encontrado información útil en cuanto a nuestra relación con los algoritmos y la convivencia entre la IA y los humanos.
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Moop
5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly Enjoyed.
Reviewed in Canada on March 8, 2019
Verified Purchase
I thought this book was well written and anyone should be able to get through some of the more complicated concepts discussed since the author explains them quite thoroughly. The topics discussed are also quite interesting and very current.

This is the second book by Hannah Fry I have read and have to say she writes quite well. I never felt like details were left out, except when topics that I knew something about were discussed (though I suspect the level of detail she would have to go into for that would cause many readers to stop reading).
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amritesh
5.0 out of 5 stars Promotion
Reviewed in India on March 10, 2020
Verified Purchase
Physics 101 taught me actions have equal and opposite reactions. So if you think you can create and control algorithms, you should be okay with the reactionary corollary of that. The book is must read for anyone who considers him/herself professional in any field, but uses just some tools/programs/computers to reach his/her conclusions/decisions/actions.
3 people found this helpful
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