Don’t Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life

“Big Data can help you” make better decisions, suggests New York Times op-ed contributor Stephens-Davidowitz (Everybody Lies) in this snappy guide. Taking a “Moneyball for your life” approach to self-help, the author uses data set analysis to advise on such areas as professional success, athletic talent, happiness, and love. On choosing a partner, the author examines data from dating sites to reveal that good partners tend to be happy, conscientious, and possess a growth mindset, but are not necessarily conventionally attractive. Research on educational and economic outcomes show that the most consequential decision most parents can make about their children’s future is where to raise them, the author posits, and IRS tax data indicates that those looking for financial success should aspire to run such competition-limited businesses as car dealerships. The author’s exploration of a massive happiness study reveals a mix of the expected (people like sex) and the surprising (people don’t enjoy computer games much). Stephens-Davidowitz maintains a breezy, conversational style that lends a lighthearted touch to all the wonkery. Whether confirming or debunking conventional wisdom, the smooth presentation and quantitative detail bring a welcome analytical rigor to the self-help genre. (May)