Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior
- Downloads：9641
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2024-12-23 10:20:23
- Update Date：2025-09-14
- Status：finish
- Author：Sandra Matz
- ISBN：B0CT6H6P5F
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A refreshingly relatable exploration of how algorithms penetrate the most intimate aspects of our psychology， and how we can regain mastery over our lives—from the pioneering expert of psychological targeting。
There are more digital pieces of data than stars in the universe。 This data helps us monitor our planet， decipher our genetic code， and take a deep dive into our psychology。
As algorithms become increasingly adept at accessing our minds， they also become more and more powerful at controlling it—enticing us to buy a certain product or vote for a certain political candidate。 Some of us say this technological trend is no big deal。 Others consider it one of the greatest threats to humanity。 But what if the truth is more nuanced and mind-bending than that？
In Mindmasters， Columbia Business School professor Sandra Matz offers a fascinating insider perspective on the art and data-driven science of psychological targeting。 By relating her own personal story of growing up in a small village—where few aspects of life remain truly private—to her groundbreaking research in computational psychology， Matz reveals how Big Data offers insights into the most intimate aspects of our psyche and how these insights empower external influence over the choices we make。
Filled with Ted-Talk-like explanations and real-life examples from Matz's research and consulting work， Mindmasters paints a nuanced picture of the power of psychological targeting。 Like nosy neighbors， it can be creepy， manipulative， and downright harmful—with scandals like Cambridge Analytica being merely the tip of the iceberg。 Yet， like any tight-knit， supportive village community， it also holds enormous potential to help us live healthier and happier lives—for example， by improving our mental health， encouraging better financial decisions， or enabling us to break out of our echo chambers。
With passion and clear-eyed precision， Matz shows us how to manage psychological targeting and redesign the data game in a way that empowers us to take back control and ask more of our personal data。
Mindmasters is a riveting look at what our digital footprints reveal about us， how they're being used—for good and for ill—and how we can gain more control and power over the data that define us。
There are more digital pieces of data than stars in the universe。 This data helps us monitor our planet， decipher our genetic code， and take a deep dive into our psychology。
As algorithms become increasingly adept at accessing our minds， they also become more and more powerful at controlling it—enticing us to buy a certain product or vote for a certain political candidate。 Some of us say this technological trend is no big deal。 Others consider it one of the greatest threats to humanity。 But what if the truth is more nuanced and mind-bending than that？
In Mindmasters， Columbia Business School professor Sandra Matz offers a fascinating insider perspective on the art and data-driven science of psychological targeting。 By relating her own personal story of growing up in a small village—where few aspects of life remain truly private—to her groundbreaking research in computational psychology， Matz reveals how Big Data offers insights into the most intimate aspects of our psyche and how these insights empower external influence over the choices we make。
Filled with Ted-Talk-like explanations and real-life examples from Matz's research and consulting work， Mindmasters paints a nuanced picture of the power of psychological targeting。 Like nosy neighbors， it can be creepy， manipulative， and downright harmful—with scandals like Cambridge Analytica being merely the tip of the iceberg。 Yet， like any tight-knit， supportive village community， it also holds enormous potential to help us live healthier and happier lives—for example， by improving our mental health， encouraging better financial decisions， or enabling us to break out of our echo chambers。
With passion and clear-eyed precision， Matz shows us how to manage psychological targeting and redesign the data game in a way that empowers us to take back control and ask more of our personal data。
Mindmasters is a riveting look at what our digital footprints reveal about us， how they're being used—for good and for ill—and how we can gain more control and power over the data that define us。
Reviews
Sekar Writes
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Have you ever thought about the traces you leave behind， not only on social media， but in the small habits and choices you make every day？ This book talks about those unconscious breadcrumbs we scatter in our daily lives， such as our preferences， routines， and even seemingly minor actions， and how they reveal more about us than we might realize。The main focus of the book is psychological targeting， a fascinating （and admittedly unsettling） technology that uses our digital footprints to predict o Have you ever thought about the traces you leave behind， not only on social media， but in the small habits and choices you make every day？ This book talks about those unconscious breadcrumbs we scatter in our daily lives， such as our preferences， routines， and even seemingly minor actions， and how they reveal more about us than we might realize。The main focus of the book is psychological targeting， a fascinating （and admittedly unsettling） technology that uses our digital footprints to predict our personalities and behaviors。 It walks you through how computers analyze these tiny clues and explains why this growing technology should matter to everyone。What stood out to me most was how the author connects these insights to our everyday lives。 If you thought avoiding social media was enough to guard your privacy， this book will challenge that belief。 It shows how society has quietly embraced ways of tracking us that extend far beyond what happens online。 Honestly， it’s unnerving to think about how much can be uncovered about us just from our daily routines。The book touches on potential solutions， calls “returning to the village。” I found this idea refreshing， though the book only talk about the tip of it。 I wish it had explored it much further。Thank you Netgalley for the ARC！ 。。。more
Brandi
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I found this book insightful and thought-provoking。 Matz covers how our personality traits can usually be seen in the words we use in social media， how colors and types of photos posted can also determine the same。 Then， she really dives into what data is pulled and how it can determine things about us。 If you’re extroverted， would you rather be at a loud coffee shop or a slow paced one？ Using things like google search may show us the one we would like most based on things like that。 With all of I found this book insightful and thought-provoking。 Matz covers how our personality traits can usually be seen in the words we use in social media， how colors and types of photos posted can also determine the same。 Then， she really dives into what data is pulled and how it can determine things about us。 If you’re extroverted， would you rather be at a loud coffee shop or a slow paced one？ Using things like google search may show us the one we would like most based on things like that。 With all of the data our apps are pulling… the point of data safety and ethics are mentioned。 Even though some of the points are freaky and very Black Mirror-y， she also focuses on the good that more data collection could give us as demonstrated in Swiss collection of medical data — but I doubt that would work in capitalist USA。If you’re a fan of Dan Ariely or Seth Stephens-Davidowitz， you’ll probably enjoy this one。Thank you， Net Galley and Harvard Business Review Press for a freeadvanced copy in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Darya
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"Mindmasters" by Sandra Matz is a thought-provoking and timely exploration of how Big Data and psychological targeting shape our modern lives。 Matz， a professor at Columbia Business School， masterfully blends personal storytelling with cutting-edge research to shed light on the deep and often unseen ways algorithms influence our behaviors， emotions， and decisions。What makes this book stand out is its balanced approach。 Rather than demonizing technology or glorifying its potential， Matz presents "Mindmasters" by Sandra Matz is a thought-provoking and timely exploration of how Big Data and psychological targeting shape our modern lives。 Matz， a professor at Columbia Business School， masterfully blends personal storytelling with cutting-edge research to shed light on the deep and often unseen ways algorithms influence our behaviors， emotions， and decisions。What makes this book stand out is its balanced approach。 Rather than demonizing technology or glorifying its potential， Matz presents a nuanced， engaging view of psychological targeting。 She draws from real-life examples and groundbreaking studies to explain how algorithms—like those used in marketing and politics—are not only penetrating our most intimate thoughts but also helping us make healthier and more informed decisions。Her clear and relatable style makes complex concepts like computational psychology and behavioral prediction easy to understand。 The book is packed with fascinating insights， from the infamous Cambridge Analytica scandal to more positive uses of data， such as improving mental health and promoting financial well-being。 Matz takes readers on a journey that makes you rethink what’s really happening behind the scenes in the digital world。What I found particularly compelling is Matz's focus on empowerment。 While the book highlights the potential dangers of data-driven targeting， it also offers hope by showing how we can regain control over our data and personal choices。 She provides actionable strategies for navigating the digital landscape in a way that allows us to harness the benefits of these tools while protecting our autonomy。"Mindmasters" is an essential read for anyone curious about the intersection of technology， psychology， and privacy。 Matz not only opens our eyes to the hidden forces influencing us but also equips us with the knowledge to take back mastery over our lives。 It's a brilliant， insightful book that will leave you questioning how much of your daily life is shaped by algorithms—and how you can regain control。 。。。more
Srinivasan Tatachari
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I had mis-anticipated the content of this book when I requested for a review copy on Netgalley。 As always Harvard Business School Publishing has promptly released the book for my review - Thank you！I loved the book - so much that I covered it in the time I normally cover thriller fiction。 There is so much going on in every page of this book。 So many facts related to our interactions with the online world， and what that means today， and what it will mean tomorrow！ Many of the insights covered by I had mis-anticipated the content of this book when I requested for a review copy on Netgalley。 As always Harvard Business School Publishing has promptly released the book for my review - Thank you！I loved the book - so much that I covered it in the time I normally cover thriller fiction。 There is so much going on in every page of this book。 So many facts related to our interactions with the online world， and what that means today， and what it will mean tomorrow！ Many of the insights covered by Sandra are not known to most of us when we are happily using location services， credit cards and other tools of convenience。 We are mostly paying with our data to the obvious and not so obvious intermediaries in the whole process。 She covers how one can be easily profiled based on our posts and tweets online - and adding location， purchases etc a digital detective can easily reconstruct over identity and who we are as a person！ She highlights how companies/labs can easily use such data shared inadvertently online， to psychologically target us。 Though not completely reversing thought processes but planting seeds of an opposite thought。 This can possibly have implications on things we buy or people we vote for， not overnight， but repeated messaging。 She cleverly lays down both the good and the bad sides of allowing data about us to be available for use online - there are benefits from helping us with mental， financial， safety aspects while we can lose so much more when it is used for bad。 She suggests the need for more finer control over the privacy and data about users， and advocates the idea of data cooperatives where users can choose what data they share and gain benefits to the extent they share data。 This is quite an interesting way to take care of this matter。。 The way technology is evolving， the need for discussions on this aspect becomes very crucial - as we are already seeing with the overwhelming use of genAI in the last year！ In summary I found this to be an insightful book， covering my interest area of human behaviour and technology in one stroke。 Highly recommend you to go through it。 。。。more
Debbie
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