I am self-aware enough to realize that I use the phrase “flew through” a lot in the reviews of any book I couldn’t put down. However, seeing as I went through a 13-hour audio book in about 5 days, I think it’s fair to say I flew through this one.
Sarah Wynn-Williams used to work as the director of public policy at Facebook. She used to see the possibilities for good in the global interconnectedness that Facebook provides. She used to believe that she could make more change from the inside than out. These things are no longer true.
From her early ambitions in public policy and the buoyant early years of working her dream job at Facebook through to her disillusionment and falling out with the company, Wynn-Williams shines a light on the negligent inner workings of one of the biggest social media companies of our time.
I found this book harrowing. Harrowing for the ways in which I’ve seen Facebook’s influence play out for myself, and harrowing for all the ways I haven’t. Wynn-Williams illustrates time and time again how, for the C-suite at Facebook, business is the sole focus: not users’ privacy, not human rights, and certainly not facts. It is a searing account, and one which reflects poorly on many powerful people.
As with any memoir, the author’s bias needs to be considered, and it’s hard to believe Wynn-Williams, after working for the company for seven years, many of which in a leadership position, is as blameless as the book portrays. However, I do not know what it’s like to feel stuck, beholden to a company for health insurance while post-childbirth complications continue to worsen; I don’t know what it’s like to work a demanding job with two small children and then try to navigate finding a new one on top of that. What I do know is that coming forward with this book has come at a large risk, and I would much rather focus on the gross negligence of the company than nitpick if Wynn-Williams could’ve done more.
Wynn-Williams narrates the audiobook and did a fabulous job. The account of her time at Facebook is incredibly well crafted, and at times it read like fiction (which I often wish it had been). It is a grim expose on the power that private companies have in public life, and the consequences that this can have at a global scale. Unfortunately, it’s left me grappling with the cost of staying a part of the social network they control, and if it’s a price I’m willing to keep paying.
2% Rating: 9/10
Recommend? Absolutely
Re-Read? Probably
Time: 1:58