Don’t Trust Your Gut review: Can big data really improve life choices?

Big data can help us make better life decisions argues a thought-provoking new book, but there are some important flaws in the argument

By Elle Hunt

Don’t Trust Your Gut

Seth Stephens-Davidowitz

Bloomsbury

EVERY day, we outsource decisions to the internet: should we stay at that hotel, eat at this restaurant, ride with that driver? We have become so accustomed to the large-scale insights afforded by tech, many of us wouldn’t buy so much as a toaster without first checking reviews online.

Their accessibility and apparent authority mean that to just roll the dice and pick an appliance is almost unthinkable – why wouldn’t you ask Google first? …