Interview: Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, author of Everybody Lies, on how to uncover hidden consumer motivations

In 'Don’t Trust Your Gut,' Seth Stephens-Davidowitz uses extensive datasets to uncover surprising and effective strategies for life’s biggest self-help puzzles. The book reveals how data from sources like dating profiles, tax records, and career trajectories contradict our instincts and offer practical, data-driven advice on topics such as finding a mate, raising children, and achieving career success. It emphasizes the importance of relying on hard facts and figures rather than gut instincts for making smarter decisions.

In this book, Seth Stephens-Davidowitz argues that while people lie in various social interactions, they are surprisingly honest when searching the internet. He uses big data from Google searches and other online activities to uncover insights into human behavior, including aspects such as racism, sex lives, parental preferences, and the impact of violent media. The book highlights the power and limitations of big data, discussing its potential to reveal deep-seated biases and improve our understanding of human nature, while also warning about its ethical implications and potential for manipulation.

In 'Hit Makers,' Derek Thompson delves into the mysteries of popularity, tracing the history of hits from the 13th-century tunic craze to modern-day blockbusters like Star Wars. Thompson shatters myths about hit-making, revealing that quality alone is not enough for success and that many popular products were close to failure. He introduces concepts like MAYA (Most Advanced Yet Acceptable) and the balance between novelty and familiarity, highlighting how influential people and networks play a crucial role in making things viral. The book is a comprehensive look at how culture happens and why certain things capture people's attention.

In 'Dataclysm,' Christian Rudder delves into the world of big data to examine how people behave when they think no one is watching. Using data from OkCupid and other social media platforms, Rudder explores various aspects of human behavior, including interactions based on race, gender, and other demographic factors. The book moves away from narrative storytelling and instead uses statistical analysis and data visualization to understand human behavior on a large scale.

This book provides a unique insight into the world of advertising and is a quirky compilation of quotes, facts, pictures, wit, and wisdom. It is designed as a pocket 'bible' for the talented and timid alike, helping to make the unthinkable thinkable and the impossible possible. Paul Arden shares his expertise on diverse issues such as problem solving, responding to a brief, communicating, playing your cards right, making mistakes, and creativity, all of which can be applied to aspects of modern life.