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What We Ask Google: A Surprisingly Hopeful History of Humankind
Ever wondered what goes through other people’s minds—their silly questions, their inner anxieties, hopes, and dreams?
In What We Ask Google, Simon Rogers explores insights from the world’s biggest an epic snapshot, two decades long and counting, of our collective brain. What it reveals about us might surprise you.
Every June, for instance, the world sees a spike in searches for “How to help a bee.” Reassuringly, people consistently want to know, “How often can you donate plasma?” And despite superficial differences (such as the deeply divided world map of cat people vs. dog people), humanity has a lot more in common than we often acknowledge. After all, everywhere around the world, it’s two a.m. when parents want to know how to get their baby to sleep.
Brimming with insights that vary from the playful to the profound, What We Ask Google delves into the momentous and the mundane secrets of what we ask when we get the chance to ask anything, offering a surprisingly hopeful picture of humankind.
In What We Ask Google, Simon Rogers explores insights from the world’s biggest an epic snapshot, two decades long and counting, of our collective brain. What it reveals about us might surprise you.
Every June, for instance, the world sees a spike in searches for “How to help a bee.” Reassuringly, people consistently want to know, “How often can you donate plasma?” And despite superficial differences (such as the deeply divided world map of cat people vs. dog people), humanity has a lot more in common than we often acknowledge. After all, everywhere around the world, it’s two a.m. when parents want to know how to get their baby to sleep.
Brimming with insights that vary from the playful to the profound, What We Ask Google delves into the momentous and the mundane secrets of what we ask when we get the chance to ask anything, offering a surprisingly hopeful picture of humankind.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2026
About the author
Simon Rogers
44 books25 followersSimon Rogers is the founding editor of the Guardian’s Datablog and has won numerous awards for his work, including a Royal Statistical Society’s award of excellence in 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
May 17, 2026
Before reading this book, if you had asked me what I think people search for on Google anonymously and in the privacy of their own homes, I would have gone to the more salacious, darker parts of the human pschye. Simon Rodgers book, however, restored my faith in humanity (somewhat) because ultimately what most of us are searching for is how to help each other and how to better understand the world we inhabit.
I am, by nature, a cynic and while I'm not saying I've suddenly turned into the world's greatest optimist, Simon Rogers' book has shown me that people aren't inherently selfish or malicious.
When we click into that search box on Google, we want to know how to talk to someone about grief, how to help in the event of crisis, how to find community and friendship, how to succeed in our romantic relationships and even how to help our pets feel comfortable in times of anxiety. We want to know answers to big questions about space and galaxies but we also want to know whether that weird rash is normal. Essentially, we want to feel less alone.
Rogers' writing is straightforward and accessible. You'll learn lots by reading his book and it'll probably give you the answer to a couple of future pub quiz questions along the way. However the simple nature of the writing means it's not always the most exciting book to read for long periods. I would suggest consuming it in small chunks, a chapter or two at a time.
The trouble with books such as this is that no sooner has the ink dried on the printing press, the stats and trends mentioned will have passed and been replaced by new ones. But, as a snapshot in time and as a way to assess how things have changed in the last 20 years this book is a valuable resource. It shows the evolution not just in the type of technology available to us but also what we seek to gain from that technology.
I found this to be an insightful, interesting, and ultimately uplifting read and would recommend it to anyone who's interested in what makes human beings tick.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for early access for review.
I am, by nature, a cynic and while I'm not saying I've suddenly turned into the world's greatest optimist, Simon Rogers' book has shown me that people aren't inherently selfish or malicious.
When we click into that search box on Google, we want to know how to talk to someone about grief, how to help in the event of crisis, how to find community and friendship, how to succeed in our romantic relationships and even how to help our pets feel comfortable in times of anxiety. We want to know answers to big questions about space and galaxies but we also want to know whether that weird rash is normal. Essentially, we want to feel less alone.
Rogers' writing is straightforward and accessible. You'll learn lots by reading his book and it'll probably give you the answer to a couple of future pub quiz questions along the way. However the simple nature of the writing means it's not always the most exciting book to read for long periods. I would suggest consuming it in small chunks, a chapter or two at a time.
The trouble with books such as this is that no sooner has the ink dried on the printing press, the stats and trends mentioned will have passed and been replaced by new ones. But, as a snapshot in time and as a way to assess how things have changed in the last 20 years this book is a valuable resource. It shows the evolution not just in the type of technology available to us but also what we seek to gain from that technology.
I found this to be an insightful, interesting, and ultimately uplifting read and would recommend it to anyone who's interested in what makes human beings tick.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for early access for review.
September 4, 2026
Simon Rogers werkt als data analist bij Google. Vanuit die rol wil hij een hoopvol bericht delen, namelijk: mensen willen helpen. Op zich niet slecht, maar de stem in mijn achterhoofd zegt: ‘Google doet toch heel veel dingen die niet helpen?’
Zelf heb ik ook bij een bedrijf gewerkt dat regelmatig als schurk in het nieuws kwam: Agrifirm. Ik was het niet eens met het landbouw- en voedselsysteem, maar zag ook het goede. Ik sprak mensen die liefde hadden voor wat ze deden. En het systeem resulteerde in betaalbaar en veilig eten voor veel mensen. Op zich niet slecht?
De wereld is een genuanceerd verhaal. Daarom vind ik dat je als groot bedrijf (als Agrifirm of Google) geen eenzijdig belichte boodschappen moet brengen. Rogers weet veel feitjes enthousiast te benoemen, maar ik zou willen dat hij zijn journalistieke achtergrond ook vragen had laten stellen in ‘Wat we Google vragen’. Dat had mij meer hoop gegeven.
Zelf heb ik ook bij een bedrijf gewerkt dat regelmatig als schurk in het nieuws kwam: Agrifirm. Ik was het niet eens met het landbouw- en voedselsysteem, maar zag ook het goede. Ik sprak mensen die liefde hadden voor wat ze deden. En het systeem resulteerde in betaalbaar en veilig eten voor veel mensen. Op zich niet slecht?
De wereld is een genuanceerd verhaal. Daarom vind ik dat je als groot bedrijf (als Agrifirm of Google) geen eenzijdig belichte boodschappen moet brengen. Rogers weet veel feitjes enthousiast te benoemen, maar ik zou willen dat hij zijn journalistieke achtergrond ook vragen had laten stellen in ‘Wat we Google vragen’. Dat had mij meer hoop gegeven.
May 8, 2026
A deep dive into fascinating insights obtained from log data published on Google Trends.
The book is divided in thematic chapters. A third of the content is lists of "most searched" terms within a specific topic. Many of these are similar to "Google suggest" recommendations, and some are interesting cross national comparisons. Google Trends data sometimes quantify assumptions about people that otherwise would have been mere assumptions or prejudices.
I didn't learn any revelation like insights from "What we ask Google". I assume that if I had spent 1000 hours gazing at Google Trends searches, I would probably make similar discoveries as the author. But I enjoyed reading it anyhow.
The book is divided in thematic chapters. A third of the content is lists of "most searched" terms within a specific topic. Many of these are similar to "Google suggest" recommendations, and some are interesting cross national comparisons. Google Trends data sometimes quantify assumptions about people that otherwise would have been mere assumptions or prejudices.
I didn't learn any revelation like insights from "What we ask Google". I assume that if I had spent 1000 hours gazing at Google Trends searches, I would probably make similar discoveries as the author. But I enjoyed reading it anyhow.
August 29, 2026
Well researched (naturally). Interesting chapters and I enjoyed how each of them began. Made me realise humans are more similar than we think. Wish there had been a chapter on Claude, ChatGPT etc and the impact.
May 26, 2026
Have I ever had an original thought? Do I need to? I should Google that…
June 3, 2026
Vaguely interesting and quite random - not really relatable and it did get quite samey.
Listened to the audiobook and thought the author sounded like Hugh grant.
Listened to the audiobook and thought the author sounded like Hugh grant.
Read
September 11, 2026this was significantly below my reading level
June 10, 2026
A lot made of the wonderful and positive google searches. Not one word about the dark side of searches. Almost as if written by an employee of google, oh wait.
May 18, 2026
Interesting premise, surprisingly trite result. The author adopts a silly tone throughout that I found irritating (lots of little sophomoric jokes are sprinkled throughout, like "say that three times fast"). More fundamentally, the book itself never really digs deep on what any of this information means. He mostly just presents these factoids as if their importance is self-evident. Finally, the information he chooses to present is mostly harmless and inoffensive and, therefore, uninteresting. Where is the chapter about sex? Both the tone and the content suggest this book is for children.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If Google search data tells us anything, it’s that none of us know how long to boil an egg, and most of us need help sounding professional on demand.
In What We Ask Google: A Surprisingly Hopeful History of Humankind, Simon Rogers uses aggregated Google search data to map patterns in what people around the world are curious about, from everyday questions to more private, sometimes uncomfortable concerns.
The writing is accessible, and many readers will likely find satisfaction in the broad patterns the book reveals. There is something genuinely compelling about seeing our collective curiosity reflected back at us. These are the quiet, unfiltered questions we ask when no one is watching.
And that’s exactly where the book lost me.
Rogers makes it clear early on that he is not commenting on the content of the internet or questioning whether it is good or bad. He does not engage with those debates; it is not his goal. Even so, that absence stands out, particularly given Rogers’s position and proximity to this kind of data.
When you’re working with aggregated data drawn from people’s search activity, there is a widespread expectation that those queries remain private. The book treats that data as a shared resource for understanding human behavior, but that framing glosses over how complex those questions of use and ownership are. Even when anonymized and used to identify patterns, seeing those queries repurposed into a broader narrative raises questions the book chooses not to address. A brief acknowledgment of how this data is collected, aggregated, and de-identified, along with some reflection on the responsibility that comes with access to it, would have gone a long way.
The result is a book that draws meaning from data that many users do not fully understand is being collected or repurposed, while sidestepping the discomfort that reality creates. For readers who are already uneasy about privacy and data collection, that absence is hard to ignore.
Readers interested in data storytelling may still find value here. I found myself more distracted by what wasn’t said than engaged with what was.
Rating: 2 stars
In What We Ask Google: A Surprisingly Hopeful History of Humankind, Simon Rogers uses aggregated Google search data to map patterns in what people around the world are curious about, from everyday questions to more private, sometimes uncomfortable concerns.
The writing is accessible, and many readers will likely find satisfaction in the broad patterns the book reveals. There is something genuinely compelling about seeing our collective curiosity reflected back at us. These are the quiet, unfiltered questions we ask when no one is watching.
And that’s exactly where the book lost me.
Rogers makes it clear early on that he is not commenting on the content of the internet or questioning whether it is good or bad. He does not engage with those debates; it is not his goal. Even so, that absence stands out, particularly given Rogers’s position and proximity to this kind of data.
When you’re working with aggregated data drawn from people’s search activity, there is a widespread expectation that those queries remain private. The book treats that data as a shared resource for understanding human behavior, but that framing glosses over how complex those questions of use and ownership are. Even when anonymized and used to identify patterns, seeing those queries repurposed into a broader narrative raises questions the book chooses not to address. A brief acknowledgment of how this data is collected, aggregated, and de-identified, along with some reflection on the responsibility that comes with access to it, would have gone a long way.
The result is a book that draws meaning from data that many users do not fully understand is being collected or repurposed, while sidestepping the discomfort that reality creates. For readers who are already uneasy about privacy and data collection, that absence is hard to ignore.
Readers interested in data storytelling may still find value here. I found myself more distracted by what wasn’t said than engaged with what was.
Rating: 2 stars
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC for review. To be published May 5, 2026.
4 stars
If you love lists and data like I do you’ll probably find this fascinating. Google Trends compiles information on what people from all over the world search for on Google and Rogers, who heads up the department, gives us some snapshots of the information.
He divides it into relevant chapters like “animals” and “grief” and I found it so very intriguing…I could have pored over double the amount of lists. Roger’s also points out that, to him, it’s very hopeful; he notes that when natural disasters occur people are always searching for ways to help (though he also is very happy that people are always seeking to donate plasma I hate to burst his bubble, but does he not know that people get paid for that, and that’s why people are searching for that versus donating blood? Sweet summer child Simon!). It’s a short book and a fun way to spend some time.
4 stars
If you love lists and data like I do you’ll probably find this fascinating. Google Trends compiles information on what people from all over the world search for on Google and Rogers, who heads up the department, gives us some snapshots of the information.
He divides it into relevant chapters like “animals” and “grief” and I found it so very intriguing…I could have pored over double the amount of lists. Roger’s also points out that, to him, it’s very hopeful; he notes that when natural disasters occur people are always searching for ways to help (though he also is very happy that people are always seeking to donate plasma I hate to burst his bubble, but does he not know that people get paid for that, and that’s why people are searching for that versus donating blood? Sweet summer child Simon!). It’s a short book and a fun way to spend some time.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I had heard that Google searches are the only place on the internet where people actually tell the truth and was interested in getting the nitty gritty. What I got was a little bit less salacious and a little more heartwarming. I hadn't noticed the subtitle before I read it, but after finishing, I told a friend how it gave me the warm fuzzies and it was surprisingly hopeful. And then came here only to notice, guess what, that was the point!
The book is divided into different popular search topics: love, health, end of life, manners, etc. The main thesis running throughout is that our Google searches reveal that the citizens of the world are more alike than different and that we are more likely to search for positive ways to interact with others. It's not that we didn't know all this, but it sure is nice in these turbulent times to be reminded of it!
Thanks to Dutton, via NetGalley, for the ARC!
The book is divided into different popular search topics: love, health, end of life, manners, etc. The main thesis running throughout is that our Google searches reveal that the citizens of the world are more alike than different and that we are more likely to search for positive ways to interact with others. It's not that we didn't know all this, but it sure is nice in these turbulent times to be reminded of it!
Thanks to Dutton, via NetGalley, for the ARC!
August 12, 2026
This was a fun book. I think it would have been even more fun if while enumerating all the questions people asked about on Google that he had also provided more of the answers people were seeking. I think I understand why he didn't because he didn't know the answers like "What do you say to someone who is depressed?" All he could do is to provide the answers that he actually knew for sure like "Do penguins have knees?" Yes, they do... at least he said they do and I believe him.
The author narrated the book. He has an accent that I had to get used to, but a good natural voice that is very friendly.
I'm not sure I would read this book again. Maybe, but the information changes over time. No doubt if he wrote this book today it would be different. This is just a snapshot of what people ask about on Google.
The author narrated the book. He has an accent that I had to get used to, but a good natural voice that is very friendly.
I'm not sure I would read this book again. Maybe, but the information changes over time. No doubt if he wrote this book today it would be different. This is just a snapshot of what people ask about on Google.
November 6, 2026
Wat een ontzettend leuk boek! Wat we Google vragen van Simon Rogers geeft een bijzonder inkijkje in onze menselijke eigenschappen. Van onze eindeloze nieuwsgierigheid tot misschien wel iets nog mooiers: hoe graag we goed willen doen, voor onze vrienden, familie, kinderen, huisdieren en de wereld om ons heen.
Ik vond het fascinerend hoeveel je over ons als mensen kunt leren door simpelweg te kijken naar wat we Google vragen. Het leest heerlijk weg en geeft regelmatig een verrassend mooi beeld van de mensheid.
Tegelijkertijd bleef ik wel nieuwsgierig naar meer diepgang. Ik denk dat als Simon Rogers ooit een vervolg schrijft, samen met een antropoloog, daar echt iets ontzettend interessants uit zou kunnen komen. Juist de culturele en maatschappelijke context achter al die zoekopdrachten lijkt me minstens zo fascinerend als de data zelf.
Erg leuk boek!
Ik vond het fascinerend hoeveel je over ons als mensen kunt leren door simpelweg te kijken naar wat we Google vragen. Het leest heerlijk weg en geeft regelmatig een verrassend mooi beeld van de mensheid.
Tegelijkertijd bleef ik wel nieuwsgierig naar meer diepgang. Ik denk dat als Simon Rogers ooit een vervolg schrijft, samen met een antropoloog, daar echt iets ontzettend interessants uit zou kunnen komen. Juist de culturele en maatschappelijke context achter al die zoekopdrachten lijkt me minstens zo fascinerend als de data zelf.
Erg leuk boek!
September 7, 2026
A quick and easy read. I finished it in two days. A great book for a long plane ride or doctor’s visit.
-“Our desire to understand how things work is essentially evolutionary psychology: learning about our world can increase our ability to survive. Being afraid of snakes because we might get bitten is a prime example of healthy learning behavior (although for many of us in the UK that cannot be a daily occurrence, so is it some instinct buried in our brains from our distant past?). It is about understanding our immediate environment. Our brains evolved to prioritize information that aids survival; it’s deeply rooted in our biology.” Pg.129
-“Our desire to understand how things work is essentially evolutionary psychology: learning about our world can increase our ability to survive. Being afraid of snakes because we might get bitten is a prime example of healthy learning behavior (although for many of us in the UK that cannot be a daily occurrence, so is it some instinct buried in our brains from our distant past?). It is about understanding our immediate environment. Our brains evolved to prioritize information that aids survival; it’s deeply rooted in our biology.” Pg.129
July 18, 2026
Disappointingly anodyne. Little methodological detail, searches are shown as ‘more searches’ or ‘fewer searches’ with no sense of relative scale between different searches.
Little interesting to be learned. For example, “the top ‘is…possible’ search is ‘is time travel possible’. Ok. So?
I think fundamentally it suffers from Rogers being a Google employee. I doubt very much Google cannot do more interesting analysis of their search data but probably are nervous of letting on just how much they know about us all…..
Little interesting to be learned. For example, “the top ‘is…possible’ search is ‘is time travel possible’. Ok. So?
I think fundamentally it suffers from Rogers being a Google employee. I doubt very much Google cannot do more interesting analysis of their search data but probably are nervous of letting on just how much they know about us all…..
July 23, 2026
A good, quick read that really jolts you with quirks of human nature. The illustrations were one of the highlights of the read for me-- they depict his findings in such a personable and relatable way that I wish Google itself did more of!
It does beg the question: what would this book read like if it included the darker side of Search queries? Nonetheless, Rogers' research fills you with a deep sense of belonging and community which feels increasingly hard to come by in this world that seems so connected, yet at the same time, never so siloed.
It does beg the question: what would this book read like if it included the darker side of Search queries? Nonetheless, Rogers' research fills you with a deep sense of belonging and community which feels increasingly hard to come by in this world that seems so connected, yet at the same time, never so siloed.
November 1, 2026
Een geinig boek waarin een data-editor van Google dieper ingaat op wat we allemaal googelen. De belangrijkste boodschap die ik eruit heb gehaald, is dat we als mensen vooral graag anderen willen helpen.
Het boek is opgedeeld in tien thema’s die de schrijver verder uitdiept aan de hand van allerlei zoekopdrachten. Ik werd heel blij van alle lijstjes en grafieken! En eerlijk gezegd was het ook wel geruststellend om te ontdekken dat ik niet de enige ben die soms behoorlijk stomme vragen aan Google stelt. 😅
Het boek is opgedeeld in tien thema’s die de schrijver verder uitdiept aan de hand van allerlei zoekopdrachten. Ik werd heel blij van alle lijstjes en grafieken! En eerlijk gezegd was het ook wel geruststellend om te ontdekken dat ik niet de enige ben die soms behoorlijk stomme vragen aan Google stelt. 😅
June 7, 2026
An insightful read about the things we ask Google, the trends and ultimately how when we google things privately that are existential “why am I sad”, it is experienced by everyone. So social media may make us feel further apart, but we stand in solidarity by what we search. And also, we are more hopeful and use Google searches to ask it to enable us to help others, which should be the main point of technology
June 13, 2026
I LOVE this book! It's a really enjoyable read, and the excellent illustrations make the data incredibly accessible. From the top spelling searches by US state (Wisconsin's is the best) to the questions we ask that show our concern for others, the book offers a fascinating insight into the business of being human; as it says on the cover, it is indeed "a surprisingly hopeful picture of humankind". It also features the cutest dog on the planet.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This book was as about as interesting as a blade of grass: vaguely intriguing at times, and really, quite random most of the time. I get that he was trying to tell a group of stories around data, but unless you are fascinated by data science in general, and lots of repetition in the explaining of it (without actually explaining anything!), this is not a book that will be an eye catching read, but for the cover.
August 1, 2026
I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was a really cool concept and I liked reading about how connected everyone really is through their searches. I will say I got taken out of it a little bit due the mention and what I would maybe say promotion of AI (I’m not surprised, the man works for google, but it was just always in the back of my mind as I was reading). Overall a very interesting quick read. Kind of reminiscent of John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed but with google.
July 24, 2026
Connect with campaigners for a cause you believe in and see the movement around you
You are not on your own. You are not the only person searching for how to boil an egg. We think of the word community and we think of interconnected beings
We are humans. We’re not perfect. We are looking for a way to face our challenges and overcome them
You are not on your own. You are not the only person searching for how to boil an egg. We think of the word community and we think of interconnected beings
We are humans. We’re not perfect. We are looking for a way to face our challenges and overcome them
August 24, 2026
I would never have thought i would find a book about data interesting. Im so glad i picked this up! Between the wonderfully creative graphs and the easy, personable interpretation of qualitative data, this book does indeed paint a surprisingly hopeful picture of mankind.
Ive been recommending it to everyone i speak to about books and I cant offer higher praise than that.
Ive been recommending it to everyone i speak to about books and I cant offer higher praise than that.
June 24, 2026
This is a good book for people who are snoopy and care what others are wanting answers too. It was a somewhat fun read, but I would think the part that got me the most was the grief section. Just having lost a parent this part hit home. Would have loved for it to be more in depth.
October 9, 2026
Interesting peak into what people use Google for, capturing how we look for answers about love, raising kids, and everything beyond. However, nothing new or fascinating I learned from the book though.
Review of advance copy
Rating: 3,5
May 20, 2026
Interesting, and somewhat hopeful look at what we Google in general. I think you can probably cherry pick our search histories to fit your narrative either way though.
May 23, 2026
surprising, insightful and fun!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews