Book Review: Data for All by John K. Thompson

In our first book review ever, Chief Editor Lou Covey talks with data scientist John K. Thompson about his recent book, Data for All from Manning Publishers. The book lays out, in plain terms, the depth of information every corporation and government in the world is collecting on us without monetary recompense to users. The book can serve as a text for data science majors but is easy enough to understand that any literate person can understand the scope and consequences of this data collection and why changes need to be made.

His proposal for organizations that profit off our data should pay users for that data is controversial, but efforts in the EU requiring these companies to make what data they have collected available to the user is already receiving stiff opposition. Thompson points out that they also opposed the GDPR and various US regulations without success.

This book, and another book mentioned (Not with a Bug but with a Sticker) are must-readings for anyone who wants to understand the importance and value of what they share online.

Lou Covey

Lou Covey is the Chief Editor for Cyber Protection Magazine. In 50 years as a journalist he covered American politics, education, religious history, women’s fashion, music, marketing technology, renewable energy, semiconductors, avionics. He is currently focused on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. He published a book on renewable energy policy in 2020 and is writing a second one on technology aptitude. He hosts the Crucial Tech podcast.

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