Escape from Model Land

“Escape from Model Land offers a contemplative, densely encapsulated summary of her reflection and research... Ms. Thompson emphatically counsels not abstinence but discipline and humility… But it’s up to us to learn from models without being drawn in by their seductive elegance, and to ensure that the lessons from Model Land find substantive expression where it actually matters: in our messy, material, magnificent world”
 —Wall Street Journal

"[A] highly engaging work of popular science, in which accessibility to the ideas is given priority over academic muscle-flexing."—Engineering & Technology

“Math-based models have become the secret machinery of our society, and this book draws back the curtain for a close look…. A complex subject rendered in accessible terms, with good advice for using models without drowning in data.”—Kirkus (starred)

"An eye-opening account of the limits and uses of mathematical models... a thoughtful, convincing look at how data works."—Publishers Weekly (starred)

“Data, computing power, AI, and the models that use them will continue to proliferate. The wisdom, life experience, and humility to make the best use of those powerful tools will remain scarce. This delightfully wide-ranging book offers heaps of the latter to help us generate genuine insights from the former.”—Charles J. Wheelan, New York Times-bestselling author of Naked Statistics

“A brilliant account of how models are so often abused and of how they should be used.”—John Kay, author of Other People’s Money

“Escape from Model Land demystifies the process of making the mathematical models that are increasingly used to make decisions about our lives, from the financial markets to the pandemic to climate change. A thought-provoking and helpful guide for data scientists and decision makers alike.”—Stephanie Hare, author of Technology Is Not Neutral

“A wise, lucid and compelling guide to how mathematical modelling shapes our world. Thompson teaches us how to go from being unthinking consumers of models to sophisticated users, combining a rich variety of vivid examples and case studies with deep conceptual expertise, presented in a lively and accessible way.”—Stian Westlake, CEO, Royal Statistical Society