Seduced and reduced by startup culture

There’s a lot of money in Silicon Valley so it’s easy to understand why Anna Wiener wanted out of book publishing and in on big data. In her memoir Uncanny Valley [2020], Anna Wiener reflects on her experience working, hustling and sometimes thriving in the seductive world of startups. As a woman and a (non-essential) non-programmer, Wiener sees plenty of the bad we expect from young bros with too much money and no formal HR. Disillusionment is inevitable.

An intellectual roasting of the word "creativity"

If you are looking for a fun page turner this one is not for you. Against Creativity (2018) by Oli Mould is what I’d file under “books that are fascinating but maybe too intellectual for me.” Mould makes a compelling case against creative capitalism, where the use of “creative” or “creativity” is really just. a sexy way to say “do more with less.” Wonder why the “creative” skillset is on every job description? Come for the gentrification beat down, stay for the realization that your creative title is masking corporate abuse. Great reading for the holidays! Buy for your loved ones.

Why philanthropy is bad

Is Winners Take All (2018) by Anand Giridharadas depressing? Yes. Will it make you angry at the world’s billionaires, thought leaders, and corporate do-Gooders? Yes. Is it socialist propaganda? My boss seems to think so. But it will make you think about government differently and who should actually be considered the “little guys” (hint: it’s not Silicon Valley), and why we need accountability and critical thinking and not TED Talks. Nobody is safe from this book. Simon Sinek? Roasted. Brene Brown? Roasted. Bill Clinton? Roasted. Airbnb? Roasted. Power posing? Roasted. Oh and all of us marketers who are helping our client’s build a better world? We should discuss. I have thoughts.

You're judging people incorrectly

Apparently we’ve been judging people all wrong. Malcolm Gladwell’s Talking To Strangers (2019) somehow manages to interconnect interrogating terrorists, Jerry Sandusky, Sandra Bland, Brock Turner and Amanda Knox into one big you can’t judge a book by its cover! Lots of hot takes that are sometimes a little too spicy. Also lots of good lessons here, like how reading body language is ineffective or torture tactics/stress can lead to memory loss. Sorry, water boarding!

Quick read, good conversation fodder. Stay for the new perspective, and somehow try to get past the fact that racism was often just relegated to the footnotes… :/

Analyzing cultural themes in your favorite television shows

June 2019

If you like to look up theories, cultural analysis, Twitter responses and memes immediately after watching an episode of a show, I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution (2019) by Emily Nussbaum, is the book for you. Essays range from gender bias towards female-led “soapy” dramas and “gritty” male-led “prestige” television to the argument for and against canceling Louis CK or The Cosbys from the narrative of television history. Nussbaum makes us think deeply about why we watch what we watch and how it reflects the world around us. Plus it’s just fun to read.

What's wrong with you and society, answered

Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion (2019) by Jia Tolentino is the kind of non-fiction book that makes you feel smarter, while also making you feel like a real dummy. Each essay dives into a topic that you’re probably broadly aware of but haven’t taken the time to really think about. From athleisure to grifting to reality television to weddings, Tolentino explores and exposes our own hypocrisies. Like why GirlBoss (or capitalizing on female empowerment) feels like sham. Read it if you want to feel ashamed and want to know exactly why. Also read if you enjoyed this tweet.