4.5/5
As bad as I thought Facebook (and social media as a whole) is, it's worse. This was a fairly demoralizing read, but I think it was good to get insight into some of the inner-workings of Facebook.
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Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism | 
4.5/5
As bad as I thought Facebook (and social media as a whole) is, it's worse. This was a fairly demoralizing read, but I think it was good to get insight into some of the inner-workings of Facebook.
I get that this whole book is the author‘s mea culpa. I don‘t understand why she feels this need to hire someone for her role before she leaves FB. Find another job. Her husband doesn‘t sound like he likes San Francisco, so being black balled by tech bros shouldn‘t be an issue. And who would want to work for these disgusting excuses of humans anyway? Just find another job and leave.
I may need to check out Lean In from my library to truly appreciate how vile a person Sandberg is. Another anecdote has Sheryl insisting the author join her in bed on the private jet back from Davos. Apparently, that‘s a thing with Sheryl and her female employees…treating them like dolls. WTAF?
Here‘s just the beginning. They play Cataan next. Mark was poised to win, but Sarah beats him again. When he gets pissed, Sarah goes through all the strategic moves he could have taken to win the game and then broadens the context to how Mark‘s “winner takes all” attitude creates massive issues at Facebook. No wonder this asshat didn‘t want this book published. Now I want more. Who else who‘s witnessed this crap will be brave enough to speak up?
Observations the day after Trump won in 2016. And there‘s so many more that make me 🤮
Author comparing Zuckerberg 5 years earlier with no opinions and the priority of signing up more users to the 2016 Zuckerberg who‘s more concerned about writing a good FB post about his employee jailed in Brazil than calling government officials in Brazil to exert some influence in securing that employee‘s release. What an absolute POS.
pickThis reads a bit like the memoir of someone who's escaped from a cult. The later parts of the book are a little repetitive, but overall it's maddeningly readable. Wynn-Williams seems to be working through her own feelings of culpability for the direction Facebook has gone, but that doesn't mean her claims aren't factual. I'm not sure I can justify keeping my Meta accounts after this.
"Mark tells Elliot to do something about the headlines and Elliot explains that would be difficult because they seem to be true."
I'm doing my best to take this book with a grain of salt as the account of just one person who has her own stuff to work through, but when the book itself, in describing a totally different situation, seems to predict how the release of the book was handled, I'm more inclined to believe the author about other things.
Poor Mark🤮
🤞🏼for any dish on his Hawaii compound. Really wish someone would do a deep dive on the crap he‘s pulled there. And I‘m talking book or documentary. Given how much land he‘s got, I‘d prefer drone shots for max impact on the rest of us peasants.
pickI knew this book would show truly deplorable behavior, but I was not ready for such bottom of the barrel depravity. I honestly believe there is nothing these people won‘t do to achieve their own ends, which is horrifying and terrifying. Such an eye-opening book. I hope a lot of people who continue to use Facebook read this and think on what they are supporting.
According to Sarah, Mark Zuckerberg believes Andrew Jackson was the best president of the US. WOW. That says so very much.
pickIt was mostly the Barbara Streisand effect that led to me looking up to see if I could get the audiobook of this from the library… The Zuck getting a court ruling to prevent the author from promoting her book?? Interesting choice.
Well worth the read.
The “Mteam” (M for management because everything seems to be a shortcut with tech bros) allow Mark to win Settlers of Cataan.
When author asks him if he wants to win this way, his response, “I‘m not winning that way.”
Author adds, “He genuinely doesn‘t see it. Seems perplexed by my outburst.”
🤮
pickI‘m glad, after reading this, that I‘ve never used anything Meta (no SM at all apart from here! 😏).
I knew bits of this story, but was still shocked at the depth and extent of the immorality and degeneracy of the company and its people. More so with Sandberg actually - I‘d only ever really seen good stuff about her, probably because I wasn‘t previously interested enough in her to learn more.
Shocking and sobering - scary stuff!
Quote is from the Prologue, which sets the tone nicely.
On page 70 as I sit down this morning for more. This book already reaffirms my decision to delete FB and Instagram along with a slew of other social media.
I considered dropping a quarter point from the tagged for a solid A (questioning if author took enough responsibility for her own actions) but went with 5⭐️ because of the changes I need to make in my own habits after reading this.
5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Avg C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F
Flatiron Books posted this over on their Instagram today. Am at the part in the book that today‘s Senate hearing with Sarah was about. Can‘t wait to see how this plays out for Zuckerberg and Facebook.
pickWhen MZ sues to keep this from being promoted, I knew it was going to be a worthy read 🤣
This book hits on how out of touch the ultra wealthy are, how money and power change people and how dangerous FB has become in their role in politics from fake news to their algorithms. It sucks, but I do use it to keep in touch with people and learn new hobbies: up-cycling textiles, ball pythons, and sourdough bread making to name a few. Ugh.
Took my sister‘s dog, Hugo, for a walk this morning - and couldn‘t resist putting him in jail 🤣
Not a lot of reading happening this week - but I did listen to a couple of chapters of Careless People at work today.
This is one of the most shocking and disturbing books I‘ve ever read, and it makes me want to delete every meta app on my phone.
Sarah talked her way into a job at Facebook to direct their policy and contact with other countries. She entered as an idealist with hopes of social media connecting the world. In 2017, she‘s facing knowledge of the spying apps that Facebook has specifically develop so the Chinese Communist Party can ⬇️
bailedI bailed at 33%. Even though I don‘t generally read exposes or memoirs, a writer. I respect said she had read this in one day and it was engrossing, so I gave it a shot.
pickYikes - attracted to and corrupted by power. I‘ve long been losing respect towards those running Facebook/Meta. But after reading this - ‘losing respect‘ forget that semantic of charity. I‘m disgusted by the powerful people that were and are behind Facebook/Meta. …This book is powerful and I applaud Sarah‘s courage to write it (even though she bears some responsibility for what she coordinated in the name of job security/health insurance).
pickIt was worth reading. A little slow until about halfway. It had a bit of a covering my ass feeling to it; but overall an interesting, horrifying read.
But what the hell was that wasp scene at end?
24/80
pickIn case you needed any more confirmation that the leaders of Facebook/Meta were soulless, empty people willing to ignore the suffering caused by Facebook around the world, this book will finish the job. Oh and they are also pretty creepy. The story of Sandberg ordering subordinates to sleep in the same bed with her on private flights has gotten the most attention. However, remembering that they also developed tech to target vulnerable teens…ugh!
Someone take away my wallet! 😅
Other than BOTM, I‘m on a strict book buying ban til my birthday in June at least. I need to shrink this TBR before my bf throws me out of our apt. 🤪🫣
But given all of the chatter, I couldn‘t not pick the tagged up…and spied this lil Octavia essay for a later #AuthorAMonth. 😍
"We're in the middle of an archeological ruin somewhere on the Panamanian coast."
#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl
Current read
I read that meta won't allow the author to promote her book on their platforms; so of course I just to order it. #bookmail
If MZ doesn't want people to read this, then I want to read it. It's extremely readable - I'm hooked
The book Zuckerberg does not want people to read. The author cannot promote it but Macmillan can sell it- The story is on my IG if anyone is interested.
Anyone one else hear about this book?
#taxtherich #noologarchy
pickWynn-Williams‘ memoir may not tell you anything you couldn‘t already guess about Zuckerberg, Sandberg, & Facebook but the story of her years at FB, going from naive idealist to disillusioned, is still entertaining, informative, & maddening. Growth at all costs, admiration for weaponization of Facebook in 2016 election, acquiescence to everything China wants as they try to get FB into the country, Myanmar, and much more…it‘s all there & it‘s ugly.
Meta sued to prevent the author of a tell-all book from promoting her work. So Sarah Wynn-Williams can't go on talk shows or be interviewed about her new book Careless People, which was released March 11 and is available now whenever books are sold. What a shame that she can't get the word out about what is being called an "explosive dispatch" covering "seven critical years" at Facebook. How ever will people learn about this book now? ?
