Big Data
Does Size Matter?
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Big Data
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Narrated by:
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Timandra Harkness
About this listen
Big data knows where you've been and who your friends are. It knows what you like and what makes you angry. It can predict what you'll buy, where you'll be the victim of crime and when you'll have a heart attack. Big data knows you better than you know yourself, or so it claims.
But how well do you know big data? You've probably seen the phrase in newspaper headlines, at work in a marketing meeting, or on a fitness-tracking gadget. But can you understand it without being a Silicon Valley nerd who writes computer programs for fun? Yes. Yes, you can.
Timandra Harkness writes comedy, not computer code. The only programmes she makes are on the radio. Starting with the basics - what is data? And what makes it big? - Timandra takes you on a whirlwind tour of how people are using big data today: from science to smart cities, business to politics, self-quantification to the Internet of Things. Finally, she asks the big questions about where it's taking us: is it too big for its boots, or does it think too small? Are you a data point or a human being? Will this book be full of rhetorical questions?
No. It also contains puns, asides, unlikely stories, engaging people, inspiring feats and thought-provoking dilemmas, leaving you armed and ready to decide what you think about one of the decade's big ideas: big data.
©2016 Timandra Harkness (P)2016 Audible, LtdListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Big Data
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rosie Lee
- 19-10-20
Digging up the data with humour and clarity
Light-hearted and wide-ranging look at data and its usefulness to us and those collecting it.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Marcus I. Lashley
- 11-01-18
Brilliant
Really clear description of something that can be very complex with some fascinating insights into to what big data is and how it effects us all.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Alan Smith
- 06-06-19
Good book on data
Great narration by the author, really mate it easy to listen too. It got abit "data is the enemy" for me at places, but was still an interesting listen.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- M. Rawson
- 20-01-17
Fabulous read
I've often wondered about "big data". What if means, what people are doing with it, what the limitations are. If you're off the same mind then this is a fabulous introduction to a huge topic.
I love the author's internal style and it feels almost like you're just having a chat. If that was the intention then it was well placed and succeeded very well. I shall be looking into more about this exciting area. Many thanks.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- David Bowden
- 31-07-16
Intelligent, humorous introduction
This is an engaging, informative & highly engaging introduction to Big Data and its myriad applications - from monitoring your partner's whereabouts to predicting crime
Harkness also provides a great history of the development of data, ranging from the rise of the census through to its abuse in the name of eugenics (and speculates on some of the contemporary risks of looking to 'the evidence' to solve all political problems
Anyone familiar with her Radio 4 programmes (Human Zoo or Futureproofing) or science stand-up will be familiar with Harkness' easy-going delivery and humorous approach to complex subjects, illuminating technical topics without dumbing down & providing plenty of philosophical and critical analysis
Highly recommended to anyone trying to grapple with one of the great buzzwords of our time or anyone familiar with topic seeking a more sceptical viewpoint
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Vyv
- 04-12-16
Terrific
Illuminating, important, funny.covers many important issues with an easy conversational style. Read by the author but easy on the ear.made me laugh out loud a couple of times!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- justyna
- 03-01-25
Informative, yet light
My overall score is based on the fact that I've learnt a lot, and been directed to certain places if I wish to know more. Yes, surely the book is not for the subject experts, and it shouldn't be scored as such. I don't consider myself an ignorant person, yet I've learnt many new things. I appreciate that somebody has done all the "basic" research on the topic "for me". A couple of things are slightly irritating: 1. I appreciate the author was probably told by the publisher that she was aiming at the UK and the US markets, however explaining trivial differences sounded pretentious. 2. The author's reading voice, when it was turning deep and kind of mocking, sounded pretentious too. Overall though, the book was pleasant to hear. The author's sense of humour is good. I even laughed out loud at a few jokes.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- shlubby
- 19-10-17
The best narration I've heard so far!
Extremely well read.
I wasn't sure about the first couple of chapters but it's great after that.
A bit more technical stuff would have been good for me. e.g. on how computers are able to identify patterns/links in big data
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Michael Doherty
- 17-04-17
Fascinating and fun
I wasn't sure about the level of this book as it does start from the very basic fundamentals but it does build into some really brilliant chapters. Loved it and will be keeping an eye open for more books by Ms Harkness.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Niels Kuijpers
- 23-03-17
funny and informative
timandra really walks through the explanation of big data and does this with good humour.
I was actually a bit sad to have come to the end.
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2 people found this helpful