{"id":7091,"date":"2026-08-24T14:51:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T18:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zephoria.org\/thoughts\/?p=7091"},"modified":"2026-08-24T14:51:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T18:51:08","slug":"1-month-until-new-book","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zephoria.org\/thoughts\/archives\/2026\/08\/24\/1-month-until-new-book.html","title":{"rendered":"1 month until new book!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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In one month, my new book will be in folks\u2019 hands. \u201cData Are Made, Not Found: A Story of Politics, Power, and the Civil Servants Who Saved the US Census\u201d<\/a> tells the story of what it takes to produce democracy\u2019s data – and how hard it was to do this in 2020 during a pandemic and while struggling with what I call \u201cJenga politics\u201d (when various forces keep taking out planks and putting more pressure on top). It\u2019s an ethnography, a love letter to civil servants, and a warning to us all about how brittle our democratic project is. It\u2019s also a reminder that we can fight for our democracy. It\u2019s also a reflection on how the legitimacy of high-stakes data stems from the social fabric that surrounds it, not any inherent property of the data. (Hint: data politics are not just a concern for the census… they also concern our AI future.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This book is over 10 years in the making. I really really<\/em> really<\/em><\/strong>hope I can convince you to buy a copy. Or to ask your library to order a copy so you can check it out! (Pretty please with a cherry on top!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PLEASE pre-order my book if you can.<\/strong> The book will be available in English and French. You can listen to it as an audiobook or read it on your e-reader. If you pre-order it from Chicago University Press<\/a>, you can get 30% off by using the code UCPNEW. Or feel free to turn to Bookshop<\/a> | Amazon<\/a> | Barnes & Noble<\/a> or your local book store. Or just request the book from your local library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Come to a talk near you!<\/strong> I will also be embarking on a book tour<\/a> in the hopes of meeting other people who care about data and\/or what it takes to make American democracy work. As of now, the tour starts on September 22 in Ithaca before continuing on to DC, Chapel-Hill+Durham, Cambridge+Boston, Toronto, Seattle, DC again, SF+Berkeley, Ann Arbor, Boulder, New Brunswick, NYC, and some virtual events. If you\u2019re near one of these cities, check out my website<\/a> for times and dates. And stay tuned for more! I\u2019d love to see you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Help get the word out!<\/strong> If you\u2019ve read this far (thank you!) and you\u2019d love to help me out, here are some great ways that you can help me:<\/p>\n\n\n\n