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4.39 AVERAGE
4.39 AVERAGE
this book was insane, idk how else to describe it. had a bit in the middle that it felt repetitive, but the end was such a whirlwind that made up for it. there's a special place in hell for ms elizabeth holmes.
informative
sad
medium-paced
Good research on a notorious scandal. Many characters and surprising anecdotes.
Well-reported and a crazy story. Three stars only because I personally felt like I "got it" in the first few pages and wasn't surprised throughout. Elizabeth Holmes is an awful CEO and perhaps even worse of a person, and people are willing to believe anything for the prospect of making money.
Went on the warpath and finished this in three sittings. Better than a Soderbergh film. Brilliant.
Initially, the author is sort of painting a horrifying picture of a train accelerating towards an inevitable crash. I found it pretty depressing: like, do we need yet another story of capitalist greed, megalomania, and cult of personality leading to large-scale fraud? It reminded me a little bit of The Big Short (which I loved!) but with the lens on Silicon Valley rather than Wall Street. I will say that in this case it's mostly rich boomers and venture capitalists getting hoodwinked, so that's a little bit of a guilty pleasure.
I really enjoyed the latter half of the book, however. I didn't read much about the scandal when it became news, so I was surprised to learn that the author was the investigative journalist who broke the story. I loved learning about how Carreyrou and the WSJ chased the story despite the disturbing lengths that Theranos went to to try to kill the story. It's always inspiring to hear about folks who are committed to the truth in the face so much intimidation and personal risk.
I really enjoyed the latter half of the book, however. I didn't read much about the scandal when it became news, so I was surprised to learn that the author was the investigative journalist who broke the story. I loved learning about how Carreyrou and the WSJ chased the story despite the disturbing lengths that Theranos went to to try to kill the story. It's always inspiring to hear about folks who are committed to the truth in the face so much intimidation and personal risk.
informative
tense
medium-paced
informative
medium-paced
This book has been an unexpectedly good read – a pager turner even. It is detailed but not draggy, and reminds me of the saying that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
As someone who works in the clinical research and biotech world, the amount of violations and transgressions that piled up under Theranos’ watch is astonishing. The most amazing part to me is the number of high profile individuals in the upper crust of American politics, military, and business elite that got tangled in this web. Awesome reporting by Carreyrou.