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aantakiraisa27's review
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Really appreciated this book. It is so well investigated and written from an equity perspective. It debunks the myth of the hero/genius/savior narratives I usually attached to these philanthropic billionaires.
hannahmcjean's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.0
While this book was rather hard to get through as a fairly long & dense non-fiction book - I was very impressed by the author’s extensive and insightful research and thoughtful analysis of his subject: ‘the myth of the good billionaire’. While I expected the reality of Bill Gates’ philanthropy to fall short of the popular claims, I was still often shocked by the disgusting nature of the foundation’s global impact. Tim Schwab does not shy away from calling out the inexcusable white saviour mentality & neo-colonial structure of the Gates Foundation, as well as its role in further perpetuating the issues it claims to fight against, e.g. misogyny, health inequality, poverty. And beyond this, the book drives towards a broader critique of the wealth disparities that create billionaires and private foundations in the first place - adding an important contribution to the developing argument against such extreme and exploitative wealth accumulation in the first place.
dashtaisen's review
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.0
This was a tough read. It's long, very thorough, meticulously researched, and infuriating. Tim Schwab makes a strong case that Gates and his foundation are a "canker on democracy".
Some of the sections felt like a slog, not so much because of the writing, but because the Gates Foundation MO is so predictably slimy. Schwab tries to keep his harshest criticism directed at Gates and his cronies, and does point out that grantees are often deeply conflicted about receiving foundation money. But clearly there wasn't enough room in the book for a thorough explanation of the nonprofit industrial complex, and as a result, some of his criticisms of grantees feel unfair.
Schwab's vision for the future in the conclusion is extremely sensible and an unusual ray of hope in an otherwise deeply depressing book.
Some of the sections felt like a slog, not so much because of the writing, but because the Gates Foundation MO is so predictably slimy. Schwab tries to keep his harshest criticism directed at Gates and his cronies, and does point out that grantees are often deeply conflicted about receiving foundation money. But clearly there wasn't enough room in the book for a thorough explanation of the nonprofit industrial complex, and as a result, some of his criticisms of grantees feel unfair.
Schwab's vision for the future in the conclusion is extremely sensible and an unusual ray of hope in an otherwise deeply depressing book.
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