I was completely enthralled by this nonfiction book by artist Jer Thorpe. Cerebral at times, but more often pretty accessible deep-dive into data, its benefits, drawbacks, ownership, interpretation and much more.

This is quite unique, smart, and well-written. It's not a standard non-fiction title, which probably makes it a pretty niche book. I enjoyed it overall. Ben Ostrowsky has written a helpful review that provides some good detail. Recommended.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

When we capture data that we observe and apply it to the world around us, what are we doing? We’re putting too much trust in our own point of view and in the ability of data to make a good representation of reality. We’re risking the privacy and safety of humans and other creatures. But we’re also learning about our world more comprehensively than we used to be able to.

Jer Thorp, a data artist with a science background, argues that we must think carefully and humbly about what information we capture, how we process it and use it, and how we communicate what we learn from it. “Potential harms seem impossible,” he points out, “when you don’t inhabit the futures in which they happen.” More than that, the people affected by the capturing have the rights to their own data. Māori genetic information belongs to Māori people, not to the scientists who gather it.

Beyond the ethics and the quantum observer issues with collecting data, Living in Data points out some breathtaking ways of communicating about it. One artist, for example, led his studio in using individual grains of rice (counted in a representative sample) to represent all the people in the world. That took over a quarter million pounds of rice, four tractor trailers full. The people of St. Louis gathered around, and walked on, 10x10ft maps of the city after the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson. They told their own stories on this new canvas.

Living in Data offers interwoven vignettes about the role data plays in our lives, past and present. It’s a conversation starter, excellent for book clubs interested in nonfiction, and while I may not change anything about how I attempt to handle my own data, I’ll be more aware of how data-related issues affect justice, privacy, ecology, the sovereignty of communities, and everything else.

I am grateful to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a free advance review copy.