A very timely, detailed, and expert (yet highly readable) look at the damaging potentials of using algorithms to regulate our lives. This absolutely relevant book is a must-read for anyone involved in data science or simply algorithm users.
Using a clear definition of what constitutes WMDs, (opacity, negative feedback loops, no absence of feedback, they tend to punish the poor, model = black box). O'Neil goes through a wide range of social institutions (health, education, work, politics, criminal justice, to name a few) and examines the damages done by WMDs. My own personal distaste for work wellness stuff felt very validated.
In the end, O'Neil offers suggestions as to what can be done to "tame" WMDs and reduce their damage (including trading some efficiency for fairness), or better, use the same techniques made available thanks to Big Data for socially productive purposes.