Have you ever struggled to make a decision about where to eat when you’re out with a group of friends? It turns out, this is a very solvable problem!

This book examines an array of decision making situations we may find ourselves in, and then shows us how to go about making the most logical decisions possible. While that may sound like an attempt to make us more like robots, its more the opposite. Algorithms (and computers) allow us to work out the most efficient and effective ways to navigate life. Life is more complex than ever, so any help to shortcut some of this with some proven ‘rules of thumb’ is very welcome.

Each chapter begins by examining a different type of problem. There are some classic examples of problem solving that come under the microscope.

Imagine you were interview a series of 100 candidates for a job, you could only interview each person once, and if you said no, you couldn’t then come back to offer them the job – how many people should you interview before making that decision?

Or the classic mailman problem – knowing you need to deliver packages to a series of houses, how do you calculate the most effective route?

Of course, for most of us, these are not problems that we face. They are classic examples in the history of algorithmic study. Thankfully, the book doesn’t leave us in these abstract problems. They serve as the basis to highlight particular types of problems. Each chapter then goes on to explore an array of problems that will be much more familiar experiences to readers, and offers something in the way of algorithmic guidance to make better, less stressful and less time consuming choices.

Who wrote it

Tom Griffiths is a professor of psychology and cognitive science. Brian Christian is an author of several books on AI, and what it means to be human in the technology age.

Why I read it

The title alone grabbed me as intriguing. And science that can assist in decision making sounds like a win and worth a read.

What I liked

It was very interesting. I appreciated the constant attempts to make abstract ideas relevant to the average person. While there is some technical language at points, every effort is made to make it accessible. The book is a revelation for how much patterns and rules of thumb can be so helpful for making the decision making process simpler.

What I didn’t

It does get a little too technical at points. It’s not a huge problem – you can skim over those bits and not miss much. I’d consider myself reasonably knowledgeable on this subject, and it wasn’t always an easy read. At least the difficultly was more than made up for by the interesting subject matter.

Major Takeaway

Likewise, seemingly innocuous language like “Oh, I’m flexible” or “What do you want to do tonight?” has a dark computational underbelly that should make you think twice. It has the veneer of kindness about it, but it does two deeply alarming things. First, it passes the cognitive buck: “Here’s a problem, you handle it.” Second, by not stating your preferences, it invites the others to simulate or imagine them. And as we have seen, the simulation of the minds of others is one of the biggest computational challenges a mind (or machine) can ever face. In such situations, computational kindness and conventional etiquette diverge. Politely withholding your preferences puts the computational problem of inferring them on the rest of the group. In contrast, politely asserting your preferences (“Personally, I’m inclined toward x. What do you think?”) helps shoulder the cognitive load of moving the group toward resolution.

Who should read it

If the subject of making better decisions is of interest, and some technical language about computers and algorithms doesn’t scare you away, this is definitely an interesting read that won’t leave you disappointed.