LIMITED TIME OFFER | Get 3 months for $0.99 a month

$14.95/mo thereafter - terms apply.
Algorithms to Live By cover art

Algorithms to Live By

The Computer Science of Human Decisions

Preview
Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends January 29, 2026 11:59pm PT.
Just $0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 audiobook per month of your choice from our unparalleled catalog.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Algorithms to Live By

Written by: Brian Christian, Tom Griffiths
Narrated by: Brian Christian
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime. Offer ends January 29, 2026 11:59pm PT.

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $32.00

Buy Now for $32.00

About this listen

A fascinating exploration of how computer algorithms can be applied to our everyday lives, helping to solve common decision-making problems and illuminate the workings of the human mind

All our lives are constrained by limited space and time, limits that give rise to a particular set of problems. What should we do, or leave undone, in a day or a lifetime? How much messiness should we accept? What balance of new activities and familiar favorites is the most fulfilling? These may seem like uniquely human quandaries, but they are not: computers, too, face the same constraints, so computer scientists have been grappling with their version of such problems for decades. And the solutions they've found have much to teach us.

In a dazzlingly interdisciplinary work, acclaimed author Brian Christian (who holds degrees in computer science, philosophy, and poetry, and works at the intersection of all three) and Tom Griffiths (a UC Berkeley professor of cognitive science and psychology) show how the simple, precise algorithms used by computers can also untangle very human questions. They explain how to have better hunches and when to leave things to chance, how to deal with overwhelming choices and how best to connect with others. From finding a spouse to finding a parking spot, from organizing one's inbox to understanding the workings of human memory, Algorithms to Live By transforms the wisdom of computer science into strategies for human living.

©2016 Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.
Computer Science Management & Leadership Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Science Business Career Inspiring Mathematics Leadership Thought-Provoking Technology Human Psychology Cognitive Science
All stars
Most Relevant
The algorithms are applicable to so many daily decisions! It was an interesting twist framing everyday situations in a new light. I feel like I'm faster at deciding things now, ha!

I feel 10x smarter

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Love it. In the beginning it was bit difficult to follow but it gets more interesting.

Interesting CS view of the world

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This is one of the best books I have read in long time.
The authors explain many beautiful computer science, math, statistics, and machine learning problems and their use cases in real life.
They conclude with suggestions about a more computationally humane society.
I genuinely hope policy makers, researchers, designers, and anyone whose decisions affect a lot of people read this book and take its advice to heart.

Interesting and pragmatic

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This is a great book that makes these concepts easily accessible to a layperson. Loved it, highly recommended to all audiences.

Fantastic description of computer algorithms!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Authors draw parallels between computer science problems and real-world problems, and while not every CS problem can be directly translated/applied to the real world, many insights can be taken away. Authors explain basic computer vernacular as needed as well for the recently interested learner in the field of CS.
Appreciated the cute little pop cultural references that produced a few laughs along the way.

Thoroughly Enjoyed

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews