One of the Best Technology Books of 2020âFinancial Times
âLevyâs all-access Facebook reflects the reputational swan dive of its subject. . . . The result is evenhanded and devastating.ââSan Francisco Chronicle
â[Levyâs] evenhanded conclusions are still damning.ââReason
â[He] doesnât shy from asking the tough questions.ââThe Washington Post
âReminds you the HBO show Silicon Valley did not have to reach far for its satire.ââNPR.org
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The definitive history, packed with untold stories, of one of Americaâs most controversial and powerful companies: Facebook
As a college sophomore, Mark Zuckerberg created a simple website to serve as a campus social network.
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Today, Facebook is nearly unrecognizable from its first, modest iteration. In light of recent controversies surrounding election-influencing âfake newsâ accounts, the handling of its usersâ personal data, and growing discontent with the actions of its founder and CEOâwho has enormous power over what the world sees and saysânever has a company been more central to the national conversation.
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Millions of words have been written about Facebook, but no one has told the complete story, documenting its ascendancy and missteps. There is no denying the power and omnipresence of Facebook in American daily life, or the imperative of this book to document the unchecked power and shocking techniques of the company, from growing at all costs to outmaneuvering its biggest rivals to acquire WhatsApp and Instagram, to developing a platform so addictive even some of its own are now beginning to realize its dangers.
Based on hundreds of interviews from inside and outside Facebook, Levyâs sweeping narrative of incredible entrepreneurial success and failure digs deep into the whole story of the company that has changed the world and reaped the consequences.