By Sarah Wynn-Williams

ISBN: 9781250391230

Everyone on social media needs to read this so we can be aware and cautious of the risks!

Synopsis

An explosive memoir charting one woman’s career at the heart of one of the most influential companies on the planet, Careless People gives you a front-row seat to Facebook, the decisions that have shaped world events in recent decades, and the people who made them.

From trips on private jets and encounters with world leaders to shocking accounts of misogyny and double standards behind the scenes, this searing memoir exposes both the personal and the political fallout when unfettered power and a rotten company culture take hold. In a gripping and often absurd narrative where a few people carelessly hold the world in their hands, this eye-opening memoir reveals what really goes on among the global elite.

Sarah Wynn-Williams tells the wrenching but fun story of Facebook, mapping its rise from stumbling encounters with juntas to Mark Zuckerberg’s reaction when he learned of Facebook’s role in Trump’s election. She experiences the challenges and humiliations of working motherhood within a pressure cooker of a workplace, all while Sheryl Sandberg urges her and others to “lean in.”

Careless People is a deeply personal account of why and how things have gone so horribly wrong in the past decade—told in a sharp, candid, and utterly disarming voice. A deep, unflinching look at the role that social media has assumed in our lives, Careless People reveals the truth about the leaders of Facebook: how the more power they grasp, the less responsible they become, and the consequences this has for all of us.

What’s to like

This book should be a must-read for all who use social media. There might not be anything extraordinary in the way it is written, but the content itself is eye-opening. We need to read this to be aware of what is happening in the world and how deeply it affects the lives of each one of us. In short, it is insightful and brave.

What’s not to like

Some of the chapters were a bit drawn out and could be made more concise, so I found myself skimming some parts. On the flipside, I wished for more insight and context into specific incidents the author narrates. I wished she would lay out what her major argument is and all the experiences that contributed to it, as at times I felt I was reading a collection of her memories, and while it was obvious what the theme is, I wished for more reflection from her to tie it all together.

I think it was brave for her to write this because, as expected, people will question her complicity, and I found myself thinking why she did not leave Facebook sooner, too. She comes across as naïve at times and complicit at others.

NOTES:

Book Review Rating: 5/5
Content Warnings: Sexual harassment. Age advisory 16+