Girl Decoded

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I was truly riveted and captivated by Rana's personal and professional journey. As a woman co-founder I can personally relate to the obstacles and challenges that she endured to see her dream come to fruition. I connected with her on so many fronts - especially motherhood. I am not a computer science person but you do not need to be to relate to this fascinating field of emotional AI. There is so much humanity in this technology that I truly hope it is always used to further benevolence and connection in our device-driven society. Rana's ability to share her deepest emotions with the reader really brings you into her life. Her vulnerability in telling her story allows the reader to connect with her experiences and you find yourself rooting for her the whole way. The sacrifices she makes to follow her vision and dream were inspiring to me. I found myself researching emotional AI after each read, the positive impact emotive AI can have on our world seems limitless. I hope to be hearing about Affectiva and its impact on the world for a long time.

A delightful, insightful and illuminating window into the unique life of Rana el Kaliouby, a pioneer in the humanizing field of Emotion AI. One of the early developers of computer systems that are able to read and interpret emotions from facial expressions, Rana has been an inspiration to me for years. Her memoir shares the many intersecting worlds she has had to navigate as a student, scientist, wife, mother, Egyptian-American, entrepreneur, and CEO and is sure to inspire and empower a generation of future scientists and technologists.

Everyone tries to envision the way technology will shape the future. This book is the story of a woman who has already shaped much of it. Rana El Kaliouby has earned that frequently-trivialized description--"visionary"-- through hard work, sacrifice, and an intuitive grasp of how technology can help rather than hinder us.Girl Decoded is ideal for any discussion group. Even someone terrified of a computer can understand the technology El Kaliouby describes, and just about anyone can identify with some part of her story since she considers so many aspects of modern life--technology, education, entrepreneurship, cultural intersection, feminism, single parenting...even bad driving habits. Don't let this engrossing book slip under your reading radar.

This is a must read! Entertaining, moving, awe inspiring, a page turner and fascinating look at the future of emotional intelligent technology. The best part is hearing how this female entrepreneur, mother and CEO bravely brought her 20 year vision to life, navigating countries, cultures and glass ceilings. Rana’s story represents the best of humanity and how that can translate to building a better future for us all through AI. More than that she’s a leader whose value driven approach is changing the game. Her memoir is an inspiring must read, especially for women and young women. Her story is interesting, honest, vulnerable, authentic and respectful. You’ll fall in love with her vision and quest!

Girl Decoded (by Dr. Rana el Kaliouby) is a beautifully written story of her start-up, Affectiva, and her mission to humanize technology using AI to assess emotions across multiple domainsRana interleaves her professional story w/ personal struggles and growth, sprinkling vulnerability, humor and wit throughoutWomen in STEM are few, but Eastern/Middle Eastern women leaders in tech are even fewer.While my black, latina, white (+) sisters are making great progress in STEM careers, our Eastern sisters are held back by our own families to remain "good" daughters/wives.Like Malala, Rana gives due credit to (male and female) allies throughout her journey ❤️Very inspirational book... read it and help unleash more Ranas!🔥