Bad Choices: How Algorithms Can Help You Think Smarter and Live Happier

The wildly popular author of Bad Arguments returns with a funny, smart introduction to algorithms—those perennially misunderstood, increasingly important problem-solving rules that can save you time and lead to better choices, every day.

Why is Facebook so good at predicting what you like?
How do you discover new music?
What's the best way to sort your laundry?

Readers around the world have embraced Ali Almossawi's whimsical illustrations—drawn by his collaborator Alejandro Giraldo—and his funny, clarifying explanations of complex subjects. In fewer than 200 pages, Almossawi demystifies a new topic of increasing relevance to our lives: algorithms. Bad Choices is a book for anyone who's looked at a given task and wondered if there was a better, faster way to get the task done. What's the best way to organize a grocery list? What's the secret to being more productive at work? How can we better express ourselves in 140-characters?
Presenting us with alternative methods for tackling twelve different scenarios, Almossawi guides us to better choices that borrow from same systems that underline a computer word processor, a Google search engine, or a Facebook ad. Once you recognize what makes a method faster and more efficient, you'll become a more nimble, creative problem-solver, ready to face new challenges. Bad Choices will open the world of algorithms to all readers making this a perennial go-to for fans of quirky, accessible science books.