{"title":"Cathy O'Neil","description":"\u003cp\u003eCathy O'Neil is a renowned author and thought leader known for her insightful examinations of the intersection between data, ethics, and society. With a background in mathematics, she brings a unique perspective to contemporary issues, unpacking the often unseen consequences of data-driven decision-making.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHer book, \u003cem\u003eWeapons of Math Destruction\u003c\/em\u003e, delves into the perils of big data, exposing how algorithms, once trusted to offer unbiased solutions, can perpetuate discrimination and injustice. This compelling work sits at the crossroads of education and reference, offering readers a crucial understanding of how data shapes our everyday lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Shame Machine\u003c\/em\u003e, O'Neil explores the concept of shame in society and its exploitation by powerful entities, suggesting ways to resist and reframe this pervasive social tool. It's a thought-provoking addition to any bookshelf, particularly for those interested in the societal impacts of technology and policy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFor readers seeking to delve into the ethical dimensions of technology and data usage, Cathy O'Neil’s works are not only educational but essential in fostering a critical mindset towards the tools that increasingly govern our world.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-shame-machine-by-cathy-oneil-9781802060317","title":"The Shame Machine","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShame is being weaponised by governments and corporations to attack the most vulnerable. It's time to fight back.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShame is a powerful and sometimes useful tool. When we publicly shame corrupt politicians, abusive celebrities, or predatory corporations, we reinforce values of fairness and justice. But as Cathy O'Neil argues in this revelatory book, shaming has taken a new and dangerous turn. It is increasingly being weaponised—used as a way to shift responsibility for social problems from institutions to individuals. Shaming children for not being able to afford school lunches or adults for not being able to find work lets us off the hook as a society. After all, why pay higher taxes to fund programmes for people who are fundamentally unworthy?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eO'Neil explores the machinery behind all this shame, showing how governments, corporations, and the healthcare system capitalise on it. There are damning stories of rehab clinics, reentry programmes, drug and diet companies, and social media platforms—all of which profit from 'punching down' on the vulnerable. Woven throughout \u003cem\u003eThe Shame Machine\u003c\/em\u003e is the story of O'Neil's own struggle with body image and her recent weight-loss surgery, which awakened her to the systematic shaming of fat people seeking medical care.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith clarity and nuance, O'Neil dissects the relationship between shame and power. Whom does the system serve? How do current incentive structures perpetuate the shaming cycle? And, most importantly, how can we all fight back?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46355207979244,"sku":"9781802060317","price":29.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/16703263482829.jpg?v=1744301654"},{"product_id":"weapons-of-math-destruction-by-cathy-oneil-9780141985411","title":"Weapons of Math Destruction","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA former Wall Street data scientist sounds an alarm on the mathematical models that pervade modern life—and threaten to rip apart our social fabric.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWe live in the age of the algorithm. Increasingly, the decisions that affect our lives—whether we get a job or a loan, how much we pay for insurance—are being made by mathematical models. In theory, this should lead to greater fairness; everyone is judged according to the same rules, and bias is eliminated. But as Cathy O'Neil reveals in this urgent and necessary book, the opposite is true. The models being used today are opaque, unregulated, and incontestable, even when they're wrong. Most troubling, they reinforce discrimination, creating a toxic cocktail for democracy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTracing the arc of a person's life, Cathy O'Neil exposes the black box models that shape our future as individuals and as a society. These \u003cem\u003eweapons of math destruction\u003c\/em\u003e score teachers and students, sort CVs, grant or deny loans, evaluate workers, target voters, and monitor our health. O'Neil calls on modellers to take more responsibility for their algorithms and on policymakers to regulate their use. But in the end, it's up to us to become more savvy about the models that govern our lives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House Distribution","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46505649963244,"sku":"9780141985411","price":27.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/14656093482238.jpg?v=1748677512"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/cathy-oneil.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}