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Don't Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life
Seth Stephens-Davidowitz is as good a data storyteller as I have ever met.” — Steven Levitt, co-author, Freakonomics
Big decisions are hard. We consult friends and family, make sense of confusing “expert” advice online, maybe we read a self-help book to guide us. In the end, we usually just do what feels right, pursuing high stakes self-improvement—such as who we marry, how to date, where to live, what makes us happy—based solely on what our gut instinct tells us. But what if our gut is wrong? Biased, unpredictable, and misinformed, our gut, it turns out, is not all that reliable. And data can prove this.
In Don’t Trust Your Gut, economist, former Google data scientist, and New York Times bestselling author Seth Stephens-Davidowitz reveals just how wrong we really are when it comes to improving our own lives. In the past decade, scholars have mined enormous datasets to find remarkable new approaches to life’s biggest self-help puzzles. Data from hundreds of thousands of dating profiles have revealed surprising successful strategies to get a date; data from hundreds of millions of tax records have uncovered the best places to raise children; data from millions of career trajectories have found previously unknown reasons why some rise to the top.
Telling fascinating, unexpected stories with these numbers and the latest big data research, Stephens-Davidowitz exposes that, while we often think we know how to better ourselves, the numbers disagree. Hard facts and figures consistently contradict our instincts and demonstrate self-help that actually works—whether it involves the best time in life to start a business or how happy it actually makes us to skip a friend’s birthday party for a night of Netflix on the couch. From the boring careers that produce the most wealth, to the old-school, data-backed relationship advice so well-worn it’s become a literal joke, he unearths the startling conclusions that the right data can teach us about who we are and what will make our lives better.
Lively, engrossing, and provocative, the end result opens up a new world of self-improvement made possible with massive troves of data. Packed with fresh, entertaining insights, Don’t Trust Your Gut redefines how to tackle our most consequential choices, one that hacks the market inefficiencies of life and leads us to make smarter decisions about how to improve our lives. Because in the end, the numbers don’t lie.
Big decisions are hard. We consult friends and family, make sense of confusing “expert” advice online, maybe we read a self-help book to guide us. In the end, we usually just do what feels right, pursuing high stakes self-improvement—such as who we marry, how to date, where to live, what makes us happy—based solely on what our gut instinct tells us. But what if our gut is wrong? Biased, unpredictable, and misinformed, our gut, it turns out, is not all that reliable. And data can prove this.
In Don’t Trust Your Gut, economist, former Google data scientist, and New York Times bestselling author Seth Stephens-Davidowitz reveals just how wrong we really are when it comes to improving our own lives. In the past decade, scholars have mined enormous datasets to find remarkable new approaches to life’s biggest self-help puzzles. Data from hundreds of thousands of dating profiles have revealed surprising successful strategies to get a date; data from hundreds of millions of tax records have uncovered the best places to raise children; data from millions of career trajectories have found previously unknown reasons why some rise to the top.
Telling fascinating, unexpected stories with these numbers and the latest big data research, Stephens-Davidowitz exposes that, while we often think we know how to better ourselves, the numbers disagree. Hard facts and figures consistently contradict our instincts and demonstrate self-help that actually works—whether it involves the best time in life to start a business or how happy it actually makes us to skip a friend’s birthday party for a night of Netflix on the couch. From the boring careers that produce the most wealth, to the old-school, data-backed relationship advice so well-worn it’s become a literal joke, he unearths the startling conclusions that the right data can teach us about who we are and what will make our lives better.
Lively, engrossing, and provocative, the end result opens up a new world of self-improvement made possible with massive troves of data. Packed with fresh, entertaining insights, Don’t Trust Your Gut redefines how to tackle our most consequential choices, one that hacks the market inefficiencies of life and leads us to make smarter decisions about how to improve our lives. Because in the end, the numbers don’t lie.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published May 10, 2022
487 people are currently reading
7278 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews
August 13, 2022
I was both wary and weary of this book fairly early on. While there are interesting ideas to ponder, overall, the postulations are broad, apply only to very limited circumstances, and ignore other highly relevant factors, along with reason and rationale. I’m reminded to exercise my critical thinking and statistical literacy skills as statistics show what you want them to show; results are interpreted in terms of your own agenda. As I went on, I thought the book stayed on topic but drifted away from the main point the author wanted me to suppose, and this too factored into my low rating.
This pop culture read may get you thinking and talking, but it's not a self-help book to improve your life or even scientifically influence your decision-making. There are no great revelations, and in the end, common sense prevails as well as the amount of effort you put into attaining your goals. Put yourself out there and you will achieve success through the wisdom that comes from hard work and determination.
This pop culture read may get you thinking and talking, but it's not a self-help book to improve your life or even scientifically influence your decision-making. There are no great revelations, and in the end, common sense prevails as well as the amount of effort you put into attaining your goals. Put yourself out there and you will achieve success through the wisdom that comes from hard work and determination.
May 28, 2022
Entertaining read; interesting ideas; fails as a self help book
I read this book since it was recommended by Pinker and Gilbert. I was reminded that the books I've enjoyed the most are written by academics. This book reads like a series of blogposts, it's breezy and simplistic. Has a Malcolm gladwell vibe to it. Often relies on a single study, not accounting for the importance of multiple studies, which the replication crisis in psychology has shown the importance of.
Chapters 2 to 6 are pretty good (parenting; sports; career; business), but the chapters on dating, relationships, personal style, and happiness are quite weak.
A lot of the actionable advice given in those chapters assume that you're only interested in optimizing for that one thing. The author doesn't take into account the implications beyond that one thing. This is a major flaw throughout those chapters:
Chapter 1 - chapter on dating. advises not to focus on looks in a potential long-term partner, since that doesn't lead to happiness in a relationship. Assumes that the only factor is happiness, and not the genetic advantages of future children you'll have with her. Which is ironic, because later chapters in the book stress how important genetics and looks are for success. (He also later brags about how hot his girlfriend is, qualifying that her personality traits are what he actually cares about.)
The chapter on dating also suggests to wear an extreme look, to be successful on dating apps. Assumes that dating is the only thing you're interested in, ignores the negative effect that could have on other social interactions.
Chapter 7 - since wearing glasses leads to improvement in appearing competent, author concludes that he should wear glasses. Assumes that appearing competent is all that matters. Ignores, for example, overall attractiveness.
Also, the chapter takes as a given, without explanation, that politicians appearing competent in photos doesn't actually mean they're competent. It's likely that in fact that real information regarding competency can be gleaned from photos.
Chapter 8 - Chapter on activities that leads to happiness says that sex by far leads to the most happiness. So the author recommends doing more of that. He then tells some personal stories that anecdotally imply that woman want more sex than men, when studies show that the opposite is the case, on average. Baumeister famously says that men are doomed to a life of constant sexual frustration. (It is unclear if masturbation is included in the very high ranking of "Intimacy/Making Love".)
He then gives the bizarre advice to prioritize being drunk before and after social events, as opposed to during, to optimize how much happier alcohol makes you. Assumes that drinking alcohol is simply for additional pleasure in the moment. Ignores the aspects of alcohol being a social lubricant and removing inhibitions, allowing one to take advantage to make social connections and create enjoyable memories (even though the discusses related ideas of kahneman in that chapter).
To summarize: Entertaining, breezy, read; with some interesting ideas; mostly fails as a self help book
I read this book since it was recommended by Pinker and Gilbert. I was reminded that the books I've enjoyed the most are written by academics. This book reads like a series of blogposts, it's breezy and simplistic. Has a Malcolm gladwell vibe to it. Often relies on a single study, not accounting for the importance of multiple studies, which the replication crisis in psychology has shown the importance of.
Chapters 2 to 6 are pretty good (parenting; sports; career; business), but the chapters on dating, relationships, personal style, and happiness are quite weak.
A lot of the actionable advice given in those chapters assume that you're only interested in optimizing for that one thing. The author doesn't take into account the implications beyond that one thing. This is a major flaw throughout those chapters:
Chapter 1 - chapter on dating. advises not to focus on looks in a potential long-term partner, since that doesn't lead to happiness in a relationship. Assumes that the only factor is happiness, and not the genetic advantages of future children you'll have with her. Which is ironic, because later chapters in the book stress how important genetics and looks are for success. (He also later brags about how hot his girlfriend is, qualifying that her personality traits are what he actually cares about.)
The chapter on dating also suggests to wear an extreme look, to be successful on dating apps. Assumes that dating is the only thing you're interested in, ignores the negative effect that could have on other social interactions.
Chapter 7 - since wearing glasses leads to improvement in appearing competent, author concludes that he should wear glasses. Assumes that appearing competent is all that matters. Ignores, for example, overall attractiveness.
Also, the chapter takes as a given, without explanation, that politicians appearing competent in photos doesn't actually mean they're competent. It's likely that in fact that real information regarding competency can be gleaned from photos.
Chapter 8 - Chapter on activities that leads to happiness says that sex by far leads to the most happiness. So the author recommends doing more of that. He then tells some personal stories that anecdotally imply that woman want more sex than men, when studies show that the opposite is the case, on average. Baumeister famously says that men are doomed to a life of constant sexual frustration. (It is unclear if masturbation is included in the very high ranking of "Intimacy/Making Love".)
He then gives the bizarre advice to prioritize being drunk before and after social events, as opposed to during, to optimize how much happier alcohol makes you. Assumes that drinking alcohol is simply for additional pleasure in the moment. Ignores the aspects of alcohol being a social lubricant and removing inhibitions, allowing one to take advantage to make social connections and create enjoyable memories (even though the discusses related ideas of kahneman in that chapter).
To summarize: Entertaining, breezy, read; with some interesting ideas; mostly fails as a self help book
June 4, 2022
So conflicted about this book. So many interesting case studies and papers woven into this book, but written in an unappealing “tech-bro-come-data-scientist” style.
What I found the most confusing, though, was the fact that as a book about using data, there was a blatant use of assumptions and full-on blanket statements that were clearly NOT data driven. For example, in the relationship chapter, the author writes (and this is word-for-word copied from the book), “Since Asian Men in the United States have above-average incomes, which tends to be attractive to women, the low response rates to their messages is even more striking.”
Really, Seth? All Asian men in the States do? Or is it the men you encountered in your rarefied tech-bro-data-scientists circle? Or is it the Asian men from the study you quoted? Is there another way you could’ve written this so that you didn’t perpetuate the stereotype of Asians as the model minority?
Anyway, these types of statements and assumptions are littered in this book and made it difficult to swallow, which is a pity, since a lot of the studies mentioned were fascinating.
What I found the most confusing, though, was the fact that as a book about using data, there was a blatant use of assumptions and full-on blanket statements that were clearly NOT data driven. For example, in the relationship chapter, the author writes (and this is word-for-word copied from the book), “Since Asian Men in the United States have above-average incomes, which tends to be attractive to women, the low response rates to their messages is even more striking.”
Really, Seth? All Asian men in the States do? Or is it the men you encountered in your rarefied tech-bro-data-scientists circle? Or is it the Asian men from the study you quoted? Is there another way you could’ve written this so that you didn’t perpetuate the stereotype of Asians as the model minority?
Anyway, these types of statements and assumptions are littered in this book and made it difficult to swallow, which is a pity, since a lot of the studies mentioned were fascinating.
July 22, 2022
It is sad to see that eugenic myths continue to linger, even in the writing of a Jewish author, under the cover of Big Data science. The title is correct though: I shouldn't have trusted my gut when I thought this book would be a great read for me.
Briefly, this publication is not a self-help book. It's more a collection of fun big-data summaries, very US-centric, about unintuitive realities. The book attempts to give advice on dating, changing your style, applying for jobs and building a business. But it mostly summarizes published results and endorses sometimes questionable data analysis--because oh, those dreadful controls are always hard to use in science.
Some advice was honestly quite obvious: if you want to find a life partner, looks and status aren't predictors of future happiness; the neighborhood in which a child grows up, and the mentors surrounding them, predict future success. Then we take a deep dive into socio-genomics and try to resolve the age-old debate of nature vs nurture; using horribly controlled data the author is 100% certain he has the answer, and that is: genetics is all that matters. Oh, and the neighborhood in which your child is raised. There are much more intelligent books addressing the nature vs nurture debate, and why it's not just one or the other, so go read those instead. It was sad however to see a Jewish author so calmly say 'it's all about genetics'. Additionally, while the book acknowledges the existence of racism, it just...shrugs its shoulders at it. Oh, you want a successful kid? Just move to a good neighborhood. Let's not discuss zoning, racist practices when selling/buying houses for BiPOC people, ...Goodness there is so much to talk about here and the author just makes jokes about it and moves on!
The only truly interesting part of the book for me was the one discussing success as an entrepreneur. The author used big data in a more convincing way (at least for me, I'm a biologist, not an economist, so perhaps the controls were off in this section as well), to argue that starting a successful business is dependent on age (the older you are the higher your chances of success) and experience (the more you have, the better your chances). But then we go down slippery slopes again, of discussing how your biggest chance of getting a job is applying far and wide (I agree there) and sending out a lot a lot alot of applications. That latter argument is, let's be honest, rather garbage. Improving your skills to write a cover letter/CV, and sending very targeted applications is likely to increase your chances of success much more than just sending applications out like a dummy. Sorry, but I've got experience in that field, and a lot of my friends who followed the authors advice took months to find a job. Targeted applicants had a much higher rate of success and got jobs much faster. Other than the argument that if you fail, try-try again, not much else is of value in this section.
I abandoned the book when we entered the 'what makes us happy' chapter and the author started talking about sex making people happy and him having sex with his partner. After a big EWWW (and I'm not prudish) I've decided to trust my gut--telling me I'm wasting my time and I've got other books to read--and didn't listen to the last hour of the audiobook.
I don't recommend.
PS: I never liked Seinfeld, and it's over use in this book was annoying. Since the author apparently likes to read his reviews: please consider diversifying your examples in future books. For other readers' sake, because I've been put off by this current publication and won't be sampling future works by this author.
Briefly, this publication is not a self-help book. It's more a collection of fun big-data summaries, very US-centric, about unintuitive realities. The book attempts to give advice on dating, changing your style, applying for jobs and building a business. But it mostly summarizes published results and endorses sometimes questionable data analysis--because oh, those dreadful controls are always hard to use in science.
Some advice was honestly quite obvious: if you want to find a life partner, looks and status aren't predictors of future happiness; the neighborhood in which a child grows up, and the mentors surrounding them, predict future success. Then we take a deep dive into socio-genomics and try to resolve the age-old debate of nature vs nurture; using horribly controlled data the author is 100% certain he has the answer, and that is: genetics is all that matters. Oh, and the neighborhood in which your child is raised. There are much more intelligent books addressing the nature vs nurture debate, and why it's not just one or the other, so go read those instead. It was sad however to see a Jewish author so calmly say 'it's all about genetics'. Additionally, while the book acknowledges the existence of racism, it just...shrugs its shoulders at it. Oh, you want a successful kid? Just move to a good neighborhood. Let's not discuss zoning, racist practices when selling/buying houses for BiPOC people, ...Goodness there is so much to talk about here and the author just makes jokes about it and moves on!
The only truly interesting part of the book for me was the one discussing success as an entrepreneur. The author used big data in a more convincing way (at least for me, I'm a biologist, not an economist, so perhaps the controls were off in this section as well), to argue that starting a successful business is dependent on age (the older you are the higher your chances of success) and experience (the more you have, the better your chances). But then we go down slippery slopes again, of discussing how your biggest chance of getting a job is applying far and wide (I agree there) and sending out a lot a lot alot of applications. That latter argument is, let's be honest, rather garbage. Improving your skills to write a cover letter/CV, and sending very targeted applications is likely to increase your chances of success much more than just sending applications out like a dummy. Sorry, but I've got experience in that field, and a lot of my friends who followed the authors advice took months to find a job. Targeted applicants had a much higher rate of success and got jobs much faster. Other than the argument that if you fail, try-try again, not much else is of value in this section.
I abandoned the book when we entered the 'what makes us happy' chapter and the author started talking about sex making people happy and him having sex with his partner. After a big EWWW (and I'm not prudish) I've decided to trust my gut--telling me I'm wasting my time and I've got other books to read--and didn't listen to the last hour of the audiobook.
I don't recommend.
PS: I never liked Seinfeld, and it's over use in this book was annoying. Since the author apparently likes to read his reviews: please consider diversifying your examples in future books. For other readers' sake, because I've been put off by this current publication and won't be sampling future works by this author.
August 21, 2022
I bought this book because I hated its purpose and look on life. I am against relying on data on many decisions as I believe in a life should be lived based on your own truth not a formula. Whether or not it makes you rich, happily married etc. Life is not about the end goal. It is the journey that is life. We should rather detach ourselves from the idea that we need to control every aspect of our lives.
But I realised by reading this book, that some things are relevant to understand and have data on. Knowledge is not the same as basing your actions on it. While you should remember to question everything (research is so uncertain and should not be seen as the truth) - it is intersting information to include in how the world (might) work and how to look upon things.
The book is a fascinating and entertaining read. It's been a while since I read a book so quickly!
But I realised by reading this book, that some things are relevant to understand and have data on. Knowledge is not the same as basing your actions on it. While you should remember to question everything (research is so uncertain and should not be seen as the truth) - it is intersting information to include in how the world (might) work and how to look upon things.
The book is a fascinating and entertaining read. It's been a while since I read a book so quickly!
May 30, 2022
Don’t Trust Your Gut : Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life (2022) by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz (SSD) is an interesting book where a data scientist uses the tools of his trade to look at how to improve our own lives. SSD has a PhD in economics and is a former Google data scientist so he’s ideally placed to write the book.
There is a very good podcast interview with SSD by Steven Levitt on Levitt’s podcast ‘People I Mostly Admire’ for anyone pondering if they’d like to read the book or who has read it and would like to hear a little more about it all.
The first Chapter looks at what data can be obtained on what makes a happy relationship and then becomes a look at what works on OKCupid in getting messages returned. What is always striking to me about the approach by those rated most attractive and least attractive is how much more successful women are at approaching men than the other way around. The least attractive tenth of females get a response 29% of the time while the most attractive men get a response 36% of the time. It’s curious that more women don’t ask men out. Perhaps Bumble is changing that. SSD points out that what this should lead to is keeping asking people out. Which is valuable advice but it does lead to the problem that many women have on dating site have with far too many poorly thought out messages. Perhaps many of us have met someone who is remarkably good with the opposite sex, then you watch what they do and see that lots of approaches does seem to be the key. The chapter goes on to look at what actually makes relationships work. A big part of it is finding someone who is happy with themselves.
The book then looks at parenting and gets to the point that finding a good place where your kids find other good kids to grow up with is key. Also SSD points out the massive effect of genes on kids.
The third chapter is a fun chapter that examines how to most easily get athletic success and in what sports are genes most important. Basketball, unsurprisingly due to the importance of height is one where genes makes a huge difference. SSD also finds the easiest sports to get some college scholarships in and the ones where making the Olympics is probably easiest.
The very interesting Chapter Four examines how to get rich in America by looking at who is in top 0.1% of wealth and how they got there. It turns out owning a car dealership is a very good way to get rich. Alas SSD doesn’t mention how many car dealerships are inherited. Also choosing the top 0.1% is a bit arbitrary, perhaps being in top 5% might be useful. But it also might yield less interesting answers, like become a dentist, doctor, lawyer or engineer and save your money.
Chapter Five looks at how to be successful as an entrepreneur or in business generally. SSD shows how really young founders are often less successful than older people. Indeed the average age for success seems to be someone in their 40s who understands a particular business and starts a company. Far less interesting that an early twenty something internet billionaire but far more likely.
Then the book looks at how to hack luck and uses the example of AirBnB and how the two art school friends tried various things and kept changing what they did until they worked out how AirBnB could really work.
Chapter Seven has fun with working out how to do a good makeover with data and lots of AI generated altered pictures of yourself.
In Chapter Eight the book looks at what the data from happiness reporting apps says about how to be happy. It’s interesting. Getting off our couches, exercising and listening to music are reported as something that actually makes us happy. Sex is number one predictably. One thing this chapter didn’t explore is if people vary much in their answers.
There is a very good podcast interview with SSD by Steven Levitt on Levitt’s podcast ‘People I Mostly Admire’ for anyone pondering if they’d like to read the book or who has read it and would like to hear a little more about it all.
The first Chapter looks at what data can be obtained on what makes a happy relationship and then becomes a look at what works on OKCupid in getting messages returned. What is always striking to me about the approach by those rated most attractive and least attractive is how much more successful women are at approaching men than the other way around. The least attractive tenth of females get a response 29% of the time while the most attractive men get a response 36% of the time. It’s curious that more women don’t ask men out. Perhaps Bumble is changing that. SSD points out that what this should lead to is keeping asking people out. Which is valuable advice but it does lead to the problem that many women have on dating site have with far too many poorly thought out messages. Perhaps many of us have met someone who is remarkably good with the opposite sex, then you watch what they do and see that lots of approaches does seem to be the key. The chapter goes on to look at what actually makes relationships work. A big part of it is finding someone who is happy with themselves.
The book then looks at parenting and gets to the point that finding a good place where your kids find other good kids to grow up with is key. Also SSD points out the massive effect of genes on kids.
The third chapter is a fun chapter that examines how to most easily get athletic success and in what sports are genes most important. Basketball, unsurprisingly due to the importance of height is one where genes makes a huge difference. SSD also finds the easiest sports to get some college scholarships in and the ones where making the Olympics is probably easiest.
The very interesting Chapter Four examines how to get rich in America by looking at who is in top 0.1% of wealth and how they got there. It turns out owning a car dealership is a very good way to get rich. Alas SSD doesn’t mention how many car dealerships are inherited. Also choosing the top 0.1% is a bit arbitrary, perhaps being in top 5% might be useful. But it also might yield less interesting answers, like become a dentist, doctor, lawyer or engineer and save your money.
Chapter Five looks at how to be successful as an entrepreneur or in business generally. SSD shows how really young founders are often less successful than older people. Indeed the average age for success seems to be someone in their 40s who understands a particular business and starts a company. Far less interesting that an early twenty something internet billionaire but far more likely.
Then the book looks at how to hack luck and uses the example of AirBnB and how the two art school friends tried various things and kept changing what they did until they worked out how AirBnB could really work.
Chapter Seven has fun with working out how to do a good makeover with data and lots of AI generated altered pictures of yourself.
In Chapter Eight the book looks at what the data from happiness reporting apps says about how to be happy. It’s interesting. Getting off our couches, exercising and listening to music are reported as something that actually makes us happy. Sex is number one predictably. One thing this chapter didn’t explore is if people vary much in their answers.
May 16, 2022
I’ve read over 90 books in 2022, and this book is definitely in my top 5. Maybe even top 3. I absolutely loved Seth’s previous book Everybody Lies and had no clue he was working on a new book, so this was a pleasant surprise. For those who are unfamiliar with Seth’s work, he dives into data to debunk a lot of conventional wisdom and help us see the truth that’s often hidden by our biases and other cognitive shortcuts. His previous book was more about helping us see the world through a clearer lens, but this one is much different.
Seth brands this book as self-help, but I don’t even think that category does the book justice because it covers so much. Yes, if you read this book, I guarantee your life will get at least a tiny bit better if you take in what he’s showing with the data, but it also helps us take a look at how we all have different advantages and disadvantages. The book covers what the data really says about what makes for long-lasting, great relationships, the biggest factor when it comes to children becoming successful, and how Seth gave himself a makeover using data to make himself more attractive.
Since I’m obsessed with the topics of skill, success, and luck, my favorite two chapters covered these topics. A lot of books either don’t cover both sides of this debate or don’t do a great job of doing so. I think Seth nailed it by discussing how luck plays a big role in success, but it also takes hard work and taking advantage of opportunities that come your way.
I could talk about this book all day, but this is all I’ll say for now. Hopefully, it has interested you enough to go get a copy ASAP.
Seth brands this book as self-help, but I don’t even think that category does the book justice because it covers so much. Yes, if you read this book, I guarantee your life will get at least a tiny bit better if you take in what he’s showing with the data, but it also helps us take a look at how we all have different advantages and disadvantages. The book covers what the data really says about what makes for long-lasting, great relationships, the biggest factor when it comes to children becoming successful, and how Seth gave himself a makeover using data to make himself more attractive.
Since I’m obsessed with the topics of skill, success, and luck, my favorite two chapters covered these topics. A lot of books either don’t cover both sides of this debate or don’t do a great job of doing so. I think Seth nailed it by discussing how luck plays a big role in success, but it also takes hard work and taking advantage of opportunities that come your way.
I could talk about this book all day, but this is all I’ll say for now. Hopefully, it has interested you enough to go get a copy ASAP.
December 10, 2022
Claims to be “data science turned into self help,” but more like “random statistics that are mildly interesting, too specific to be practical, and possibly just correlation”.
Interesting stats/claims:
- “The word “you” was twelve times more likely to appear in the most underlined sentences than other sentences. People, in other words, really like sentences that include the word “you.””
- “Parents, as surprising as it seems… have only small effects on: Life expectancy, Overall health, Education, Religiosity, Adult income.”
- “Hinge users are 11.3 percent more likely to match with someone who shares their initials.”
Interesting stats/claims:
- “The word “you” was twelve times more likely to appear in the most underlined sentences than other sentences. People, in other words, really like sentences that include the word “you.””
- “Parents, as surprising as it seems… have only small effects on: Life expectancy, Overall health, Education, Religiosity, Adult income.”
- “Hinge users are 11.3 percent more likely to match with someone who shares their initials.”
July 20, 2022
I barely got through the introduction. He said the words big data many times. He also said that big data could answer some of our most pressing questions. Somehow the author thought one of those pressing questions was the probability of becoming a celebrity or why some people are lucky. I persevered and read the first chapter about parenting. It was not good. For instance, evidently big data can tell you the best places in the country to raise a child. Big data says that Reading Pennsylvania is one of the top five places. Evidently big data hasn't visited Reading, nor has the author I guess. Granted that result is from a very well-respected researcher who I happen to admire, so I may be cherry picking a bit. Speaking of cherry picking, this book is filled with it. The author said that big data told him that self-help books for popular and therefore he chose to write a book that was in the self-help category. Here is some self-help advice, don't read this book.
July 2, 2022
Hybrid "data science applied to populations" and "self-help" book; interesting concept, a few decent insights (but most fairly obvious, or reported widely elsewhere). Great if you have zero exposure to behavioral economics or any of that research; entertaining but kind of pointless if you're familiar with the research. (The "interesting" insights are from the research showing humans care about "ending pain" of an experience, and are largely insensitive to duration; that iPhones are a great data gathering tool for experiences; humans enjoy spending time with humans they select/like, and like being in nature, and dislike doing unpleasant tasks.). It's nice that this stuff is data supported but nothing which is particularly life changing and non-obvious for most people.
July 24, 2022
Less captivating/revolutionary in terms of topics covered as compared to 'Everybody Lies', but written in Seth's same greatly compelling style.
September 30, 2023
There is a robust market for data-whiz-cum-guru books.* In either autistic honesty or cynical arrogance, Don't Trust Your Gut actually points this out to its readers in a section that presents a breakdown of nonfiction sales by book type. And this book sure aims to be the most quintessential version of this genre. Author Seth Stephens-Davidowitz even repeats the marketing slogan for his book at least twice in the text itself - "Moneyball but for your life."
It is unfortunate that these are our contemporary reading appetites. I am not blameless. I've read all these books myself, though I do so without expecting any sort of groundbreaking insights or to reform my habits. I also don't think we can entirely live without this genre as Americans. Ben Franklin's autobiography is a foundational text of sorts after-all. And there are usually interesting tidbits or even original analyses to be found in these books. Stephen-Davidowitz's does his trademark Google Search terms method again, like in his earlier Everybody Lies. So don't let my snobbishness dissuade you from reading self-help and glib social science or the nexus of the two til your hearts content. I just hope, dear reader, that you also practice a robust form of skepticism and reflect on the fact that most of what gets packaged as the Truth or actionable insights in these books is typically not as straightforward as it is made out.**
But returning to the Google Search terms approach, I want to say I'm not particularly a fan. I of course can be counted among the faithful of data-ism, but I'm also very wary of the "garbage in, garbage out" problem. And I think search terms as a metric don't necessarily or consistently represent the same mental states or patterns of thought across a sample so I am wary of whatever they are actually measuring. Further, search term aren't accompanied by the context of a given search. There are assumptions in every method, but these ones seems quite large. There is probably value in the scale of such data, but its interpretation is trickier that Stephen-Davidowitz communicates at least in his book. Consequently, I think any of the conclusions from search terms data have to come with some other datasets that externally validating said conclusions.
Now, I don't think Stephen-Davidowitz is a computationally competent simpleton. I think he's simplifying for effect or is sometimes generalizing about a body of literature he isn't an expert so he ends up overextending some claims. For instance, Stephen-Davidowitz discusses some of the basic findings from behavioral genetic twin studies that show parenting choices have little to no effect on important life outcomes like intelligence or educational attainment or income. This is quite a simplistic narrative as presented. He's right that there are significant and important genetic effects on socially relevant traits, but how they're mediated is poorly understood. So in a very low resolution and probabilistic sense, Stephen-Davidowitz's conclusions about the effects of parenting are correct, but drawing practical insight at an individual level from these conclusion is scientific malpractice. Why? Well, for example, we know that part of the genetic effects on child outcomes is mediated by parental genotypes themselves even those not inherited by their offspring. This is called "genetic nurture," again the effect of genes NOT inherited by a child from his or her parents on that child's traits. I raise this example to highlight the complexity of modeling behavioral and social outcomes in humans and why we shouldn't try and derive simple heuristics about how to parent from this research. We don't have double-blinded RCTs about how to parent nor can we.
Taken together, I was generally underwhelmed by the claims and data presented in this book. In terms of actually delivering useful heuristics or an algorithm for success, Don't Trust Your Gut obviously fails. And the basic meme embedded in the title has already been collectively beat into the heads of readers by the behavioral sciences over the last two decades. It is admirable that Stephen-Davidowitz isn't afraid of controversial findings (e.g. behavioral genetics, dating preferences, etc), but such content is also a boon to book sales. Plus, similar insights on controversial subjects of these kind can be found in the work of other writers and scientists, where they're often treated with greater rigor. I think it is maybe time for a temporary moratorium on this sort of glib nonfiction. For the edification of readers, let's move this sort of stuff to Substack and disrupt publishing with hardcore, cutting edge intellectual content. Let's, publish fewer, higher quality books.
*Well actually, the book points out that the "self-help" sector (not just the data whiz variety) of books sells significantly more books than other sectors.
**Apologies for the lecture, I am compelled to make it to stave off disappointment in bright-eyed and bushy-tailed readers among us, who have yet to experience the let down of believing intellectual hype.
It is unfortunate that these are our contemporary reading appetites. I am not blameless. I've read all these books myself, though I do so without expecting any sort of groundbreaking insights or to reform my habits. I also don't think we can entirely live without this genre as Americans. Ben Franklin's autobiography is a foundational text of sorts after-all. And there are usually interesting tidbits or even original analyses to be found in these books. Stephen-Davidowitz's does his trademark Google Search terms method again, like in his earlier Everybody Lies. So don't let my snobbishness dissuade you from reading self-help and glib social science or the nexus of the two til your hearts content. I just hope, dear reader, that you also practice a robust form of skepticism and reflect on the fact that most of what gets packaged as the Truth or actionable insights in these books is typically not as straightforward as it is made out.**
But returning to the Google Search terms approach, I want to say I'm not particularly a fan. I of course can be counted among the faithful of data-ism, but I'm also very wary of the "garbage in, garbage out" problem. And I think search terms as a metric don't necessarily or consistently represent the same mental states or patterns of thought across a sample so I am wary of whatever they are actually measuring. Further, search term aren't accompanied by the context of a given search. There are assumptions in every method, but these ones seems quite large. There is probably value in the scale of such data, but its interpretation is trickier that Stephen-Davidowitz communicates at least in his book. Consequently, I think any of the conclusions from search terms data have to come with some other datasets that externally validating said conclusions.
Now, I don't think Stephen-Davidowitz is a computationally competent simpleton. I think he's simplifying for effect or is sometimes generalizing about a body of literature he isn't an expert so he ends up overextending some claims. For instance, Stephen-Davidowitz discusses some of the basic findings from behavioral genetic twin studies that show parenting choices have little to no effect on important life outcomes like intelligence or educational attainment or income. This is quite a simplistic narrative as presented. He's right that there are significant and important genetic effects on socially relevant traits, but how they're mediated is poorly understood. So in a very low resolution and probabilistic sense, Stephen-Davidowitz's conclusions about the effects of parenting are correct, but drawing practical insight at an individual level from these conclusion is scientific malpractice. Why? Well, for example, we know that part of the genetic effects on child outcomes is mediated by parental genotypes themselves even those not inherited by their offspring. This is called "genetic nurture," again the effect of genes NOT inherited by a child from his or her parents on that child's traits. I raise this example to highlight the complexity of modeling behavioral and social outcomes in humans and why we shouldn't try and derive simple heuristics about how to parent from this research. We don't have double-blinded RCTs about how to parent nor can we.
Taken together, I was generally underwhelmed by the claims and data presented in this book. In terms of actually delivering useful heuristics or an algorithm for success, Don't Trust Your Gut obviously fails. And the basic meme embedded in the title has already been collectively beat into the heads of readers by the behavioral sciences over the last two decades. It is admirable that Stephen-Davidowitz isn't afraid of controversial findings (e.g. behavioral genetics, dating preferences, etc), but such content is also a boon to book sales. Plus, similar insights on controversial subjects of these kind can be found in the work of other writers and scientists, where they're often treated with greater rigor. I think it is maybe time for a temporary moratorium on this sort of glib nonfiction. For the edification of readers, let's move this sort of stuff to Substack and disrupt publishing with hardcore, cutting edge intellectual content. Let's, publish fewer, higher quality books.
*Well actually, the book points out that the "self-help" sector (not just the data whiz variety) of books sells significantly more books than other sectors.
**Apologies for the lecture, I am compelled to make it to stave off disappointment in bright-eyed and bushy-tailed readers among us, who have yet to experience the let down of believing intellectual hype.
December 25, 2024
I love data, so this book was fulfilling to read. It was intriguing and thought provoking, at times funny, and at other times depressing. It was refreshing and entertaining to read this—it felt like a self-help book in disguise.
January 24, 2023
Another Banger By SSD
This was an outstanding book.
I absolutely LOVED his first book, Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are, which at the writing of this review remains as one of my top 24 books I have ever read.
This book focused on similar information as the first book, but went into much more detail.
I found each chapter endlessly fascinating.
From learning about what neighborhoods to live in to optimize your children's development, to how to optimize your online dating, to even your own physical appearance - Seth takes a data-driven, data-first approach on every decision.
I loved the little details and quips throughout the book.
I also enjoyed the common misconceptions bits. A few of them I did know (like the one on IQ) but I found them really interesting.
My favorite chapter I would have to say was on hacking luck, although, I can't say that I am a big fan of Airbnb, as they decimated the housing unaffordability here in Vancouver from parasites owning multiple properties which mostly sit empty.
I was also fascinated by the dating chapter.
Another chapter that can really change your life is the one on experiences and enjoyment activities. I definitely got a lot out of that one!
Another excellent book.
I look forward to his next!
Check this out!
4.5/5
This was an outstanding book.
I absolutely LOVED his first book, Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are, which at the writing of this review remains as one of my top 24 books I have ever read.
This book focused on similar information as the first book, but went into much more detail.
I found each chapter endlessly fascinating.
From learning about what neighborhoods to live in to optimize your children's development, to how to optimize your online dating, to even your own physical appearance - Seth takes a data-driven, data-first approach on every decision.
I loved the little details and quips throughout the book.
I also enjoyed the common misconceptions bits. A few of them I did know (like the one on IQ) but I found them really interesting.
My favorite chapter I would have to say was on hacking luck, although, I can't say that I am a big fan of Airbnb, as they decimated the housing unaffordability here in Vancouver from parasites owning multiple properties which mostly sit empty.
I was also fascinated by the dating chapter.
Another chapter that can really change your life is the one on experiences and enjoyment activities. I definitely got a lot out of that one!
Another excellent book.
I look forward to his next!
Check this out!
4.5/5
October 18, 2022
One of the best books I ever read.
1. Parenting: best methods only raise kids’ income by 26%. So chill about the 1000 decisions. Most important: place. Check IRS data study
2. Marriage happiness: main correlation is person is happy and has a growth mindset. Looks don’t matter much. Look for Samantha Joel’s big data research
3. Dating: good looks, tall men, short women
4. Looks: help with everything. Try different looks with app and poll your friends or follower
5. Rich: to be rich you must own a successful business. Most successful entrepreneurs are older and excellent in their field and then open their own shop. Mark Zuckerbergs are rare. Join fields like alcohol distribution business where regulation prevents competition.
6. Success: successful firms have similar lucky breaks but capitalise on them. Successful artists have more output and show them at many more places so they have a higher chance to stumble upon a lucky break.
7. Happiness: nature makes us happy. Sex, fishing, hunting, gardening, hiking and exercise are all great. Watching TV, playing video games and checking social media makes us miserable. Friends make us happy (but not acquaintances). Work sucks unless you work with friends. Check out Mappiness research.
1. Parenting: best methods only raise kids’ income by 26%. So chill about the 1000 decisions. Most important: place. Check IRS data study
2. Marriage happiness: main correlation is person is happy and has a growth mindset. Looks don’t matter much. Look for Samantha Joel’s big data research
3. Dating: good looks, tall men, short women
4. Looks: help with everything. Try different looks with app and poll your friends or follower
5. Rich: to be rich you must own a successful business. Most successful entrepreneurs are older and excellent in their field and then open their own shop. Mark Zuckerbergs are rare. Join fields like alcohol distribution business where regulation prevents competition.
6. Success: successful firms have similar lucky breaks but capitalise on them. Successful artists have more output and show them at many more places so they have a higher chance to stumble upon a lucky break.
7. Happiness: nature makes us happy. Sex, fishing, hunting, gardening, hiking and exercise are all great. Watching TV, playing video games and checking social media makes us miserable. Friends make us happy (but not acquaintances). Work sucks unless you work with friends. Check out Mappiness research.
August 13, 2022
As someone educated in data and social sciences, this book immediately caught my eye. It looks at many areas of life that are rather complex (e.g., what makes people happy, what makes people attracted to you, what parenting decisions lead to the best outcomes) and brings data into the conversation to shed light on how to improve yourself and your life in these seemingly complex areas. While it was an entertaining read with a humorous writing style, many of the studies used to make a point had flawed methods and made it difficult for me to take the points that were being made seriously. Ultimately the areas being looked at are highly personalized and too complex to be simplified into looking at one study, with questionable methods. The author does acknowledge this in some areas, such as with what makes for a lasting relationship. I would give this one 2.5/5 stars but rounded up to 3 due to the entertaining writing style.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2022
This could have been 15 pages of findings with an equal number of citations, endnotes, and definitions.
October 9, 2022
Too few insights. Too much Seinfeld and sex.
August 16, 2023
Don't Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz is a fascinating and entertaining book that challenges our conventional wisdom about how to make decisions in life. Stephens-Davidowitz, a former Google data scientist, uses big data to show that our intuitions are often wrong, and that we can make better decisions by using data-driven insights.
The book is divided into three parts: "Love," "Work," and "Life." In each part, Stephens-Davidowitz explores a different area of life and shows how data can help us make better decisions. For example, he shows that we don't always chose the type of leisure activities that bring us the most happiness, and that we are more likely to be happier in our careers if we work with people we like.
Stephens-Davidowitz's book is well-written and engaging, and he does a good job of selecting entertaining and meaningful data sets. However, I do have some concerns about the book. First, I think Stephens-Davidowitz sometimes overstates the importance of data. He argues that data is the "new gold" and that we should always defer to data-driven insights, even when our intuitions tell us otherwise. However, I think it is important to remember that data is not always perfect. It can be biased, incomplete, and outdated. We should always use data in conjunction with our intuition and common sense.
Second, I think Stephens-Davidowitz's book makes too many generalizations. He often talks about the "average person," but I think it is important to remember that everyone is different. What works for one person may not work for another. I think it is important to be aware of the limitations of data and to use it in a way that is tailored to our individual circumstances.
Overall, I think Don't Trust Your Gut is a thought-provoking book that can help us make better decisions in life. However, I think it is important to read the book with a critical eye and to remember that data is not always the answer.
The book is divided into three parts: "Love," "Work," and "Life." In each part, Stephens-Davidowitz explores a different area of life and shows how data can help us make better decisions. For example, he shows that we don't always chose the type of leisure activities that bring us the most happiness, and that we are more likely to be happier in our careers if we work with people we like.
Stephens-Davidowitz's book is well-written and engaging, and he does a good job of selecting entertaining and meaningful data sets. However, I do have some concerns about the book. First, I think Stephens-Davidowitz sometimes overstates the importance of data. He argues that data is the "new gold" and that we should always defer to data-driven insights, even when our intuitions tell us otherwise. However, I think it is important to remember that data is not always perfect. It can be biased, incomplete, and outdated. We should always use data in conjunction with our intuition and common sense.
Second, I think Stephens-Davidowitz's book makes too many generalizations. He often talks about the "average person," but I think it is important to remember that everyone is different. What works for one person may not work for another. I think it is important to be aware of the limitations of data and to use it in a way that is tailored to our individual circumstances.
Overall, I think Don't Trust Your Gut is a thought-provoking book that can help us make better decisions in life. However, I think it is important to read the book with a critical eye and to remember that data is not always the answer.
September 18, 2022
I liked "Everybody Lies" better. This book just feels tepid. Not much in here that isn't obvious.
Most of the early chapters are quite dull. They don't really tell me anything I didn't already know or suspect. On the topic of parenting, he basically advises people to trust their gut.
I think his data analysis gets a bit sketchy in the happiness chapters. There are just so many factors that aren't controlled for. Maybe people choose to watch TV when they are feeling sad? The author rairly draws a distinction between correlation and causation.
For a book called "Don't trust your gut", few examples are given that show people making radically better choices using data science. This book just felt disappointing
Most of the early chapters are quite dull. They don't really tell me anything I didn't already know or suspect. On the topic of parenting, he basically advises people to trust their gut.
I think his data analysis gets a bit sketchy in the happiness chapters. There are just so many factors that aren't controlled for. Maybe people choose to watch TV when they are feeling sad? The author rairly draws a distinction between correlation and causation.
For a book called "Don't trust your gut", few examples are given that show people making radically better choices using data science. This book just felt disappointing
July 24, 2022
This book's advice on how to get more dates or be happier or make more money may be marginally useful, but the real benefit is elsewhere. Let's face it, who of us is actually going to quit or careers tomorrow so that we can go start a car dealership (since that's where the real money is).
The real value comes in opening your mind to think of data as a useful tool for decision-making in life. Making data-based decisions is hard. You have to collect the data, make sense of it, decide on the best decision, then convince your friends that your counter-intuitive decision actually is the best one. But making decisions based on your gut only is bound to mislead you at least some of the time.
I'm not totally convinced that making decisions based on your gut feeling is always bad. As of now, I'm using data as an additional tool I can use where applicable.
...Perhaps I should be keeping data of how I make all my decisions and how they work out...
The real value comes in opening your mind to think of data as a useful tool for decision-making in life. Making data-based decisions is hard. You have to collect the data, make sense of it, decide on the best decision, then convince your friends that your counter-intuitive decision actually is the best one. But making decisions based on your gut only is bound to mislead you at least some of the time.
I'm not totally convinced that making decisions based on your gut feeling is always bad. As of now, I'm using data as an additional tool I can use where applicable.
...Perhaps I should be keeping data of how I make all my decisions and how they work out...
June 19, 2022
As a Big Data Geek, I loved SSD's previous book Everybody Lies and was excited to get my mitts on his follow-up. The introductory explanation of his idea for the book sounded promising - so it was quite a disappointment that (in my opinion at least) the analysis applied to the data and research findings in the subsequent chapters turned out to be rather superficial.
I liked the author's honesty about his own personal journey and drivers, and the humour - sometimes. While the light-hearted asides seem well balanced in his first book, I felt he tried a bit too hard and verged on the puerile at times here. The more serious problem for me, however, was the lack of depth of analysis and ingenuity when it came to interpreting the findings of the various research studies he drew on. The sources were also not clearly explained at times. To take one example, there were figures on how much income affects attractiveness, purportedly based on data drawn from online dating websites/apps. Unless things have changed a lot since I last used online dating, income is not a piece of information online daters submit on those websites at all, never mind truthfully. Same goes for profession to a lesser extent, so how exactly where those two tables arrived at?
SSD observes (unquestioningly) how shallow people are in their mate preferences, as physical attractiveness is such a big factor in how many replies online daters get. He fails to make the connection, however, that this is by necessity more so in online dating than general dating, as in online dating people have no opportunity to get to know each other and see 'beyond a pretty face'. This could have been easily addressed by simple noting that his very generalised conclusions about what people look for in a partner may be skewed by the fact that these data are based on only one specific way of finding a partner.
In the later chapter on happiness, I felt that SSD remained similarly naive to the limitations of the data. Self-reported happiness levels during various activities when randomly pinged by a phone app may be a sort of starting point for learning about what actually makes people feel happy, but there are various methodological limitations which weren't even acknowledged, never mind discussed. As a result the book feels a lot more like pop psychology crossed with light entertainment than an attempt to distill respectable research into useful advice for life.
Another thing that grated (in the chapter on parenting) was the initially exclusive emphasis on yearly earnings of the child as a way to measure the success of parenting. I hopefully don't have to explain while this seems rather one-dimensional.
There were quite a few findings worth reading about - for me the insights into how locality / neighbourhood affect outcomes for children and on how to 'increase one's luck' and be successful as an entrepreneur were the most substantial and rewarding. In summary, what makes this well-intentioned book so disappointing is that it could quite easily have been so much better.
I liked the author's honesty about his own personal journey and drivers, and the humour - sometimes. While the light-hearted asides seem well balanced in his first book, I felt he tried a bit too hard and verged on the puerile at times here. The more serious problem for me, however, was the lack of depth of analysis and ingenuity when it came to interpreting the findings of the various research studies he drew on. The sources were also not clearly explained at times. To take one example, there were figures on how much income affects attractiveness, purportedly based on data drawn from online dating websites/apps. Unless things have changed a lot since I last used online dating, income is not a piece of information online daters submit on those websites at all, never mind truthfully. Same goes for profession to a lesser extent, so how exactly where those two tables arrived at?
SSD observes (unquestioningly) how shallow people are in their mate preferences, as physical attractiveness is such a big factor in how many replies online daters get. He fails to make the connection, however, that this is by necessity more so in online dating than general dating, as in online dating people have no opportunity to get to know each other and see 'beyond a pretty face'. This could have been easily addressed by simple noting that his very generalised conclusions about what people look for in a partner may be skewed by the fact that these data are based on only one specific way of finding a partner.
In the later chapter on happiness, I felt that SSD remained similarly naive to the limitations of the data. Self-reported happiness levels during various activities when randomly pinged by a phone app may be a sort of starting point for learning about what actually makes people feel happy, but there are various methodological limitations which weren't even acknowledged, never mind discussed. As a result the book feels a lot more like pop psychology crossed with light entertainment than an attempt to distill respectable research into useful advice for life.
Another thing that grated (in the chapter on parenting) was the initially exclusive emphasis on yearly earnings of the child as a way to measure the success of parenting. I hopefully don't have to explain while this seems rather one-dimensional.
There were quite a few findings worth reading about - for me the insights into how locality / neighbourhood affect outcomes for children and on how to 'increase one's luck' and be successful as an entrepreneur were the most substantial and rewarding. In summary, what makes this well-intentioned book so disappointing is that it could quite easily have been so much better.
December 12, 2023
Some sections better than others, but overall it was a great concept - taking heaps of data then drawing conclusions as to how to improve in all different areas of life
June 27, 2022
In Don't Trust Your Gut, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz argues that we should all "moneyball" our lives.
I'm not sure whether I'm a great reader for this book. I loved Moneyball, I like analytics based commentary on sports like Zach Lowe's early work at Grantland, and I like wonky writing like Nate Silver's 538 articles or Matthew Yglesias' substack. I also liked SS-D's previous book, Everybody Lies. But I also loathe the "always be optimizing" ethos that I associate with Justin Timberlake's character in The Social Network. Somehow, this ethos seems to revel in its lack of substance. I suppose I am more apt to trust David Brooks' solemn advice that we build character by wrestling with our "signature sins."
There's also something in the tone of books like Freakonomics, Predictably Irrational, and Don't Trust Your Gut that sets my teeth on edge. SS-D's conclusion reads: "The data-driven answer to life is as follows: be with your love, on an 80-degree and sunny day, overlooking a beautiful body of water, having sex." Sorry, but that's too "bro" for me.
I also dislike how SS-D quotes from authoritative sources. Here's the first line of chapter 1:
The most genuine part of Don't Trust Your Gut might have been when SS-D admits to losing nearly a decade of his life to depression, but almost nothing in this self-help book speaks to that process. There is one mention of a therapist, but perhaps therapy is more productive when it's less about optimization. Or maybe it's just OK to admit one feels melancholy sometimes.
I'm not sure whether I'm a great reader for this book. I loved Moneyball, I like analytics based commentary on sports like Zach Lowe's early work at Grantland, and I like wonky writing like Nate Silver's 538 articles or Matthew Yglesias' substack. I also liked SS-D's previous book, Everybody Lies. But I also loathe the "always be optimizing" ethos that I associate with Justin Timberlake's character in The Social Network. Somehow, this ethos seems to revel in its lack of substance. I suppose I am more apt to trust David Brooks' solemn advice that we build character by wrestling with our "signature sins."
There's also something in the tone of books like Freakonomics, Predictably Irrational, and Don't Trust Your Gut that sets my teeth on edge. SS-D's conclusion reads: "The data-driven answer to life is as follows: be with your love, on an 80-degree and sunny day, overlooking a beautiful body of water, having sex." Sorry, but that's too "bro" for me.
I also dislike how SS-D quotes from authoritative sources. Here's the first line of chapter 1:
'Whom should you marry? This may be the most consequential decision of a person's life. The billionaire investor Warren Buffett certainly thinks so. He calls whom you marry "the most important decision that you make."'First, how much scholarship went into this beyond looking up marriage on brainyquote? Second, a better paragraph might read: 'The billionaire investor Warren Buffett says whom you marry is "the most important decision that you make." He's right.' But I doubt we need the quote from Buffett at all as it offers no insight beyond being a claim made by a rich person.
The most genuine part of Don't Trust Your Gut might have been when SS-D admits to losing nearly a decade of his life to depression, but almost nothing in this self-help book speaks to that process. There is one mention of a therapist, but perhaps therapy is more productive when it's less about optimization. Or maybe it's just OK to admit one feels melancholy sometimes.
August 6, 2022
What an amazing book, full of interesting ideas, and backed-up by evidence and data. This guy is an absolute legend; he won my heart in the chapter where he tried to improve his appearance using data and statistical analyses.
Oh, and the writing style is a delight: concise, simple, and extremely funny, in a way I've never seen a non-fiction book be funny. Highly recommended!
Oh, and the writing style is a delight: concise, simple, and extremely funny, in a way I've never seen a non-fiction book be funny. Highly recommended!
June 4, 2022
Like Freakonomics, I think this is a good book to get folks who may not have been inclined towards data science to learn about its potential. It is easy and fun to read. However, I think the author repeats many of the same mistakes as Freakonomics-- extrapolating and overgeneralizing data/results and pronouncing his findings to be profound. Like many data scientists and economists, he leaves out important context and attempts to condense massive fields into study (e.g., happiness and how where you grow up matters), into short, quirky "life hacks". He does admit shortcomings of some of the results/studies occasionally, but I often found myself skeptical and noting potential omitted variables and reverse causalities. Like many of the books in this category, I also found that there was not nearly enough (if any at all?) consideration or discussion of folks without the same privileges as the author-- especially since the book is likely geared towards wealthier, educated individuals, it's important to take a step back and understand how the suggested "life hacks" in this book do not apply to a lot of people.
May 28, 2022
A very quick read and I’d say overall a very nice follow up to “Everybody Lies.” I particularly enjoy Seth’s self awareness and how he deploys data humorously in service of it (I particularly loved him discussing how he used Amazon Kindle underlining data to deterring which parts of his previous book were actually most popular and using that as the inspiration for this one).
While he claims this book is a self help book, I don’t think any of the advice he offers is offered with enough depth or evidence to be compelling. Any one of the many major life areas he discusses could have an entire book written about how the data says you should act. I also think he is totally ill-equipped to discuss the ethics or philosophy of acting on the basis of data analysis in personal grooming habit, dating decisions, parenting decisions, etc.
That said, I love the Moneyball of life approach of this thing, found the sections of wealth and and dating to be particularly interesting, and appreciated Seth’s snappy and unserious style.
While he claims this book is a self help book, I don’t think any of the advice he offers is offered with enough depth or evidence to be compelling. Any one of the many major life areas he discusses could have an entire book written about how the data says you should act. I also think he is totally ill-equipped to discuss the ethics or philosophy of acting on the basis of data analysis in personal grooming habit, dating decisions, parenting decisions, etc.
That said, I love the Moneyball of life approach of this thing, found the sections of wealth and and dating to be particularly interesting, and appreciated Seth’s snappy and unserious style.
June 2, 2022
Really interesting data from a wide range of studies.
Really terrible analysis & application of that data.
Really terrible analysis & application of that data.
April 23, 2023
If a friend didn't challenge me to read this book, I don't think I would have ever picked it put. We both work with data and were discussing dating when she mentioned it. And I am delighted she did. This book was enlightening yet very charming. The chapter on the nerdiest makeover was hilarious. However, I always struggle with quantifying and datififying concepts like attractiveness or beauty, especially when the author does not present the criteria. I know some studies were based on personal perception, but that brings me to the second issue with the book. It is bold to assert some of those statements based on "data" that are a collection of individual and, consequently, incredibly biased personal perceptions. Nevertheless, I highly enjoyed the book, and I recommend it. Just make sure to take it with a grain of salt.
November 2, 2022
In a world of abstract self-help vaguely backed up by a few cherry-picked studies, it's SO refreshing to see somebody lead with the data.
Advice not laced with ideology is hard to come by. This book does a great job of giving the sometimes not-so-sexy answers to some of life's biggest questions.
It's essentially a meta-analysis on how to live life, which could easily render itself to sterile science, but he keeps this book light with engaging story-telling and lots of self-deprecating humor. What a combo. Excellent read.
Advice not laced with ideology is hard to come by. This book does a great job of giving the sometimes not-so-sexy answers to some of life's biggest questions.
It's essentially a meta-analysis on how to live life, which could easily render itself to sterile science, but he keeps this book light with engaging story-telling and lots of self-deprecating humor. What a combo. Excellent read.
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