A review by jansendotsh
An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination by Cecilia Kang, Sheera Frenkel

informative medium-paced

4.5

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 (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52269471-mindf-ck?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=v31DGttMiT&rank=5)