This book exhibits such promise on a hyper-relevant topic, but falls short of its ideals. It offers a fascinating history of data and its use by civilization to organize itself. It points out where it has veered to dominate people (e.g., slavery, colonization, Roman control) and how humans have objected to its control. Today, we live in an age where generating data is inescapable with modern life. Data’s scale and reach are unprecedented. It concludes with an aspiration that we “take back control” from data running our lives.
That’s where I object. Today’s data do not have control of our lives. Humans are still in control, and some humans relinquish control to data-driven technology. Those same humans are sometimes in power… today. The key is to demonstrate a better way forward. I agree with the Roopika Risam’s conclusion that there is a better way forward. I disagree that things are a bleak as the author contends.
The book highlights every offense cited in newspapers over the past ~30 years without acknowledging its gains in personal autonomy – promises realized. Its bleak picture does not represent my life, and its bleak picture tends to blame data itself, corporations, and private-public partnerships instead of the human authors of those actions. It blames straw men instead of analyzing their dynamics. Not all corporations are evil, nor are private-public partnerships inherently problematic. I use personal data (e.g., health-related) on a daily basis that do not directly involve the nation-state, companies, or even my doctor. Data, artificial intelligence, and technologies still empower and improve our lives in many respects.
The book needs to present a more refined, balanced view of contemporary affairs. Yes, there are problems, and yes, the book’s concerns are valid. And yes, we face choices for the future. However, there are also countervailing forces at play, and the book doesn’t inspect those enough. Further, data is not the problem; rather, it’s a tool for people. The individuals making those decisions need to be held accountable. Not all businesses are optimized towards the bottom line, thankfully. Not all democracies make moves in favor of the common good, sadly. This investigation begs for more nuance.
I love the history, and I love learning how data have been and are being used. I also love learning how we need to resist the bad and promote the good. However, all is not dark today. Humans still have power. I applaud how the book raises awareness of that fact, but Risam seems passive to drown in despair instead of being determined to swim in hope.
Data Empire: The Power of Information to Organize, Control, and Dominate
By Roopika Risam
Narrated by Soneela Nankani
Text copyright (c) 2026
Harper
Audio copyright (c) 2026
Harper
ASIN B0FXFBKVXG
Length: 13:59
Genre: History of Technology, Social Science
www.amazon.com