Not too long ago, I was in an airport looking for a book to help pass the time. I was thrilled to find a book with Big Data in the title, so I took it and started reading.
The book is titled, Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think. The authors are Viktor Mayer-Schonberger, professor at Oxford, and Kenneth Cukier, data editor at the Economist.
The book is well-written and entertaining. I would like to specifically point out 2 chapters that really stuck out to me. Chapter 4 on correlation provided an excellent description of why correlation is not the same as causation. It then went on to state that with all the data available, correlation might be all that is needed. Here is a quote from Chapter 4.
The correlations show what, not why, but as we have seen, knowing what is often good enough.
The final chapter, Chapter 10, is about what is next with big data. It provides a look into the future of where big data will make a difference: global problems, medicine, climate change, physics, sensors, and nearly all other parts of our lives. It also mentions that big data is only going to get bigger.
Also, chapter 5 introduced me to a new word, datafication. I am still not exactly sure what the definition is. Chapter 9 has a great discussion about privacy because people are losing control that information IS being collected. People can only hold others accountable for how the information is used.
Overall
The book will not help you master machine learning algorithms (it is not intended for that). It is not a technical book. However, if you are interested in what types of questions can be answered with all your data, this book is great. I believe the book is targeted at business people that are hoping to get a grasp of all the big data talk.
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