I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway and received a copy from WWNorton for review purposes. This does not affect my rating or opinions of this book.

Perhaps the greatest strength of this book is that it was understandable for the layperson with minimal technical experience, but not patronizing or reductive which would alienate a more knowledgeable reader. It's written conversationally, with an occasional witty aside/observation/pop culture reference, but always stays on topic: balancing thorough research with practical applications and analysis.

The thematic organization (the use of algorithms vs. human judgment in "Power," "Data," "Justice," "Medicine," "Cars," "Crime," and "Art") makes good sense, introducing specific case studies, hypotheticals, and conclusions for comparison within and without each topic. The conclusions are substantiated and realistic, and I definitely learned quite a bit.