An Ugly Truth - bookrastinating.com

callan reviewed An Ugly Truth by Cecilia Kang

democracy dies in Mark-ness

4 stars

This is an excellent takedown of Facebook, going hard on how the company created its own disinformation nightmare by treating extremist hate speech as “important political content.” Outstandingly written and devastating, it also sheds light on the epically gross working relationship between Zuck and Sheryl. If you can tolerate 300+ pages about some of the worst people in the world but want more ammunition against the selective applications of “intellectual freedom,” pick it up.

Luca Broggi reviewed Facebook. L'inchiesta finale. by Cecilia Kang

Review of "Facebook. L'inchiesta finale." on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Ma che inquietudine. Il libro parla della storia di Facebook e arriva all'inizio del 2021. Parla di come viene gestita la privacy degli utenti e come sono usate le informazioni interne.
La traduzione è ottima e il libro scorre. Anche se l'angoscia e la rabbia sono monotone crescenti.

Garrett reviewed An Ugly Truth by Cecilia Kang

Review of 'An Ugly Truth' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

A lot of the books about big tech are typically written by experts in one field or another, while this actually takes a moment to step back and provide an exhaustive view of the entirety of Facebook's history and its series of scandals. That gives you a top-down view to a tech company in which the leaders herald interaction above all else, stating that it "creates a better world" while at best, failing to understand the world beyond their bubble and at worst, cynically driving the worst interactions solely for the way in which it helps the bottom line.

The writing here is organized well, with each chapter providing a clear and well-written data point that can be independently worth another book unto itself. I'd say this is a great read for folks interested in learning a bit about the world we live in, the tools we use to facilitate …

A lot of the books about big tech are typically written by experts in one field or another, while this actually takes a moment to step back and provide an exhaustive view of the entirety of Facebook's history and its series of scandals. That gives you a top-down view to a tech company in which the leaders herald interaction above all else, stating that it "creates a better world" while at best, failing to understand the world beyond their bubble and at worst, cynically driving the worst interactions solely for the way in which it helps the bottom line.

The writing here is organized well, with each chapter providing a clear and well-written data point that can be independently worth another book unto itself. I'd say this is a great read for folks interested in learning a bit about the world we live in, the tools we use to facilitate it, and the people responsible for them.

Related media:
- The Facebook Files at the Washington Journal (https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-senate-hearing/card/AxUJ0Sioqe4Px8YzsGuc)
- "Mindf*ck" by Christopher Wylie (www.goodreads.com/book/show/52269471-mindf-ck?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=v31DGttMiT&rank=5)