Description

Book Synopsis

From the historian Dan Bouk, a lesson in reading between the lines of the U.S. census to uncover the stories behind the data.

The census isn't simply data; it's a ritual of American democracy. And behind every neat grid of numbers is a messy human storyyou just have to know how to read it.

In Democracy's Data, the data historian Dan Bouk examines the crucial 1940 census, uncovering what those numbers both condense and cleverly abstract: a universe of meaning and uncertainty, of cultural negotiation and political struggle. He introduces us to the individuals employed as census takers, bringing us with them as they go door-to-door to make a detailed yet imperfect record of their neighbors' lives. He takes us into the makeshift halls of the Census Bureau, where hundreds of civil servants labored with pencils, paper, and machines to divide and conquer the nation's data. And he uses a series of data points to paint bigger pictures about the systems that govern

Democracys Data

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    A Paperback / softback by Dan Bouk

    £16.00

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    RRP £20.00 – you save £4.00 (20%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Mon 26 Oct 2026.

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      Book details

      Publisher Picador USA
      Published 22 August 2023
      ISBN-13 9781250872173
      978-1250872173
      ISBN-10 1250872170

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      From the historian Dan Bouk, a lesson in reading between the lines of the U.S. census to uncover the stories behind the data.

      The census isn't simply data; it's a ritual of American democracy. And behind every neat grid of numbers is a messy human storyyou just have to know how to read it.

      In Democracy's Data, the data historian Dan Bouk examines the crucial 1940 census, uncovering what those numbers both condense and cleverly abstract: a universe of meaning and uncertainty, of cultural negotiation and political struggle. He introduces us to the individuals employed as census takers, bringing us with them as they go door-to-door to make a detailed yet imperfect record of their neighbors' lives. He takes us into the makeshift halls of the Census Bureau, where hundreds of civil servants labored with pencils, paper, and machines to divide and conquer the nation's data. And he uses a series of data points to paint bigger pictures about the systems that govern

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