A few nights ago, I crested this nonfiction title. Careless People chronicles Kiwi, Sarah Wynn-William’s, journey as a Facebook executive. Careless trended on best sellers lists. FB tried to ban it. This piqued my sis’s interest and I borrowed the eBook. At 620 pages, it was a slog. I crammed during the last few nights or I will not finish my loan. Heaps of FB policy seemed like mumbo jumbo to the common reader. Near the end, I skipped pages. Else, I’ll never reach the finish line. The book was warranted, getting it straight from the horse’s mouth. After all, FB is our zeitgeist.

Idealism

The book is all about idealism. Sarah worked at the UN but was discontented with her former role. She was just another bureaucrat and itched to leave the sidelines. She believed that Facebook could change the world. She went out of her way to work at FB. She notes how the company is like a brick wall. Contacting them or pitching a job is almost impossible. A mutual friend gave her a sliver of daylight. Even then, she kept chasing them.

Had a grand vision for her new role. It read like a nonfiction Lord of the Flies or The Beach. In terms of movies, it reminded me of 1984. There are 48 chapters, plus a prologue and epilogue. She writes of the lavish private jet flights and the absurd amount of wealth among Facebook execs.

Storyteller

Throughout the text, Sara is a plus writer who keeps you focused. When to humour you and when to extrapolate. The shark attack bit was irreverent. Funny how others were unfamiliar with New Zealand. You almost forget that you’re reading a tome. Or that this is her first book. Some people say that they already knew the details. Well, not all of us. I did not know of the Myanmar situation and the fake news. I’ve never heard of Internet.org.

The author laments that Facebook could’ve done better. Should’ve used its tools wisely. I admired how she stuck to the script. This book is about Facebook, her workplace for some time. She was stationed in their New York offices for a few years. She then joined their Silicon Valley headquarters. She talks of the perks of being an FB employee. Conversely, the long hours by the top brass was shocking. As we learn of her story, we get a better sense of the FB microcosm. We unpack the key players from her POV. We comprehend FB’s involvement in various developing countries. Here are a few excerpts from my latest read.

• I don’t see it. I feel it. A force so powerful and unexpected. A shark attack is like being hit by a knife attached to a freight train.
• My dad howls, “She was my favourite daughter.” I enjoy that for a moment. I have two sisters. I can’t wait to tell them. I’d always suspected it. Then my mother wails, “Just like the cat!” Because our cat Winkels had recently met an untimely end. Just like the cat. Brutal.
• The fear chokes me as I anticipate the next axe strike across my neck or skull or some other vulnerable part of me, delivering the final blow.
• In New Zealand, it’s easy to feel like you’re on the edge of the world.
• Like Chairman Mao’s original, Facebook’s Little Red Book is filled with quotes, images, and core principles from its supreme leader, although in this case of course that’s Mark rather than Mao.
• They don’t think Facebook should be using the platform to push people to do anything- donate their organs, vote, eat more vegetables, floss, adopt stray puppies, anything.
• Then it’s simply a matter of plonking myself down at her table and waiting to see if anyone will remove me.

• Stories in which Vaughan has insisted on “showing them his deck.” The New Zealand accent turns e’s into i’s, so it sounds like a lewd proposition rather than a business invitation to review some slides.
• He stops and asks me to explain where the country is. This happens so frequently that a few weeks into his tenure, I offer to buy him a world map. He turns that down, but days later, a large framed map shows up in his office.
• I run over from my desk and see a woman convulsing on the floor. She’s foaming at the mouth and her face is bleeding.
• I notice that the newly elected president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, who credited Facebook with his election-is conspicuously napping.

Quotes

After going through Careless, I recall this movie quote. ‘Great ambition and conquest without contribution is without significance.’

That was from The Emperor’s Club. FB had these sweeping plans to do good and broaden their reach. They did this. However, when trouble came to these places, they were like Frankenstein’s creator. They would not control the beast.

Another one: ‘With great power comes great responsibility.’

That was from the OG Spidey. Being puissant and ubiquitous makes you accountable.

Worth the hype

I got through most of the book within a few days. My second read of the year. A few times, I almost quit. The succinct chapters helped. Apart from the policy jargon, the language was accessible, a well-written account from a smart technocrat. This was worthy of the hype. Getting an insider’s look on FB is rare. David Fincher’s The Social Network gave an unflattering and raw portrait of FB. I saw that one with a friend at the cinemas. This delves further into the think tank’s psyche. Careless wasn’t the easiest but I’m glad that I persevered.

At the moment, Careless has a 4.32 rating on Goodreads. Over 19,000 readers have rated it. This means that the work has remained above 4 or an 80% approval score. Will the book age well? Will future bookworms remain curious about the social network? Only time will tell.

Rating 4.1/5