The Algorithm Wars have ended, and the world has been optimized. Thanks to the System, everything that happens is recorded, liked, commented, shared and analyzed at scale in order to produce nonstop and ever-improving recommendations. It is a world of total information and total freedom… although things tend to go more smoothly when you follow the System’s prompts.

"Optimal is a brilliant exploration of the implications of ceding our personal responsibility and relying on algorithms to teach us how to live. But more than that, it’s great storytelling." -- Hahvi.net

"I was hooked from the first chapter - not because it's so deep, but in spite of that. ... In other words, it's fun to read. You barely notice how terrifying the implications are until you're too far in to care..." -- Amazon Vine Voice reviewer

"Jessica Stern and J.M. Berger's new book, 'ISIS,' should be required reading for every politician and policymaker... Their smart, granular analysis is a bracing antidote to both facile dismissals and wild exaggerations... a nuanced and readable account of the ideological and organizational origins of the group." -- Washington Post 

• Foreign Affairs: Best books of 2015

• Wall Street Journal: Must-reads on terrorism

• Washington Post: Notable nonfiction of 2015

• New York Times: The top books of 2015

The definitive book on Americans who joined jihadist movements from the 1970s through 2011. 

"Berger lifts the veil on the phenomenon of American jihadists in this timely and chilling examination." -- Publisher's Weekly

"A sober, factual account of the Americans who have been lured to the cause of religious violence, offers a useful reminder that this phenomenon is nothing new, long predating the Sept. 11 attacks."  -- New York Times