Torva pre-empts book on search trends from Google data editor Simon Rogers

Torva has pre-empted a book on search trends from Google data editor Simon Rogers. Alex Christofi bought world all-languages rights to What We Ask Google from Jeff Shreve at Curious Minds Agency.

The synopsis reads: "Ever wondered what goes through other people’s minds—their silly questions, their anxieties, their hopes and dreams? In What We Ask Google, Simon Rogers explores insights from the world’s biggest dataset: an epic snapshot, two decades long and counting, of our collective brain. From the playful to the profound, What We Ask Google is brimming with insights into what we all ask when we get the chance to ask anything, offering a surprisingly hopeful picture of humankind."

Rogers leads a team of data journalists, analysts and visualisers to "tell stories with Google’s data". Previously, he was Twitter’s first ever data editor, and he is also the author of Facts Are Sacred (2013, Faber), based on the Guardian’s "Datablog" which he launched.

Christofi said: "I’m so pleased to be working with Simon on What We Ask Google. Apart from finding it utterly fascinating to have a window into what the world is thinking about, it’s amazing to see all the ways that we are likeminded, and a much-needed dose of optimism in a world so often presented as angry and divided."