Blurb:

Sarah Wynn-Williams joined Facebook believing the company could change things for the better. Instead, what she encountered over seven years was so shocking that Meta obtained a legal order to silence her.

Now you can read her award-winning story. Candid and entertaining, Wynn-Williams’ account pulls back the curtain on Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg and the global elite. She exposes the true cost of Silicon Valley’s ambition, from outrageous schemes cooked up on private jets to the alarming consequences of Facebook’s aggressive pursuit of global dominance.

Careless People is an ordinary woman’s gripping and darkly funny memoir that will forever change how you view the technology that runs our lives – and the unchecked power of those who control it.

Review:

I read Careless People based on a recommendation from a friend and then later learning about it through a podcast. It fits my September reading challenge as a non fiction book, non fiction being a genre I rarely read and would like to read more. 

Careless People is the author’s account of her time working at Facebook. As part of her job, Sarah Wynn Williams is involved in Facebook’s activities in countries all over the world, and I was fascinated to learn about how Facebook operates in different countries, and how the laws and political situations in different countries affect the business policies they are able to implement. I’m not familiar with a lot of foreign politics, but I found Sarah Wynn Williams’ writing accessible and engaging throughout her account. 

 I think everyone knows that Facebook isn’t as ethical as it should be, but there are many aspects of its practice that I found truly shocking and genuinely eye opening. I admire Sarah Wynn Williams’ incredible honesty and openness, particularly with regard to her own personal situation and the life of her family, throughout Careless People. The personal elements of this book allow the author’s words to hit with increased impact. There are some very interesting, and often humorous stories in the book that involve her family, and these provide some light moments alongside what is ultimately a difficult experience about which to read as it unfolds. 

Careless People has definitely made me think more deeply about my own Facebook use, and how I read into their public image and understand the messages that they project to the world, and whilst it wasn’t always comfortable to read, I am now glad that I have done so. 

Careless People is available from Amazon.