'A brilliant account of how models are so often abused and of how they should be used' John
KayHow do mathematical models shape our world - and how can we harness their power for good?
Models are at the centre of everything we do. Whether we use them or are simply affected by
them they act as metaphors that help us better understand the increasingly complex problems
facing us in the modern world. Without models we couldn't begin to tackle three of the major
challenges facing modern society: regulation of the economy climate change and the COVID-19
pandemic. Yet in recent years the validity of the models we use has been hotly debated and
there has been renewed awareness of the disastrous consequences when the makers and
interpreters of models get things wrong. Drawing on contemporary examples from finance climate
and health policy Erica Thompson explores what models are why we need them how they work and
what happens when they go wrong. This is not a book that argues we should do away with models
but rather that we need to properly understand how they are constructed - and how some of the
assumptions that underlie the models we use can have significant unintended consequences.
Unexpectedly humorous thought-provoking and passionate this is essential reading for
everyone.
