Down and Out in Silicon Valley

Down and Out in Silicon Valley

Author: Mel Krantzler

Publisher: Prometheus Books

Published: 2002-02

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 161592826X

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Like Icarus flying too close to the sun, many once-promising dot.com entrepreneurs have been burned by overweening ambition and come crashing to the ground. Besides the economic wreckage left in the wake of their high-flying dreams there is also a good deal of psychological turmoil. Psychologists Mel Krantzler and his wife Pat, both counselors who have helped hundreds of managers and CEOs of high-tech companies cope with dreams turned to nightmares, expose the shadowy side of Silicon Valley in this revealing book about the personal costs of "success." In addition to being a psychologist, Dr. Krantzler is also a trained economist. His economic expertise, combined with his psychology practice, enables him to uniquely illuminate Silicon Valley's culture from both perspectives. This is the first book to explode the romanticized myth of Silicon Valley, which is still so prevalent in advertising and the media. What you never hear about this Mecca of high-tech culture is that it has one of the highest divorce rates in the world, more children who are psychologically disturbed than in less-affluent areas, almost no affordable decent housing even for those earning $50,000 a year, and widespread alcohol and drug use. What the Krantzlers make clear is that aside from the simple geographical designation, Silicon Valley is the name for a psychological obsession found any place where people believe that instant fame and fortune can be gained through silicon chips and Web sites. This dream nourishes itself on an illusion of power and instant gratification. And like heroin and cocaine, it is highly addictive, promising total happiness, but often ending in disarray and despair. Based on interviews with many Silicon Valley executives who have decided to change their lives to achieve true well-being for themselves and their families, this book concludes with a formula for real success - a well-rounded, balanced, and fully human life.


Book Synopsis Down and Out in Silicon Valley by : Mel Krantzler

Download or read book Down and Out in Silicon Valley written by Mel Krantzler and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 2002-02 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Like Icarus flying too close to the sun, many once-promising dot.com entrepreneurs have been burned by overweening ambition and come crashing to the ground. Besides the economic wreckage left in the wake of their high-flying dreams there is also a good deal of psychological turmoil. Psychologists Mel Krantzler and his wife Pat, both counselors who have helped hundreds of managers and CEOs of high-tech companies cope with dreams turned to nightmares, expose the shadowy side of Silicon Valley in this revealing book about the personal costs of "success." In addition to being a psychologist, Dr. Krantzler is also a trained economist. His economic expertise, combined with his psychology practice, enables him to uniquely illuminate Silicon Valley's culture from both perspectives. This is the first book to explode the romanticized myth of Silicon Valley, which is still so prevalent in advertising and the media. What you never hear about this Mecca of high-tech culture is that it has one of the highest divorce rates in the world, more children who are psychologically disturbed than in less-affluent areas, almost no affordable decent housing even for those earning $50,000 a year, and widespread alcohol and drug use. What the Krantzlers make clear is that aside from the simple geographical designation, Silicon Valley is the name for a psychological obsession found any place where people believe that instant fame and fortune can be gained through silicon chips and Web sites. This dream nourishes itself on an illusion of power and instant gratification. And like heroin and cocaine, it is highly addictive, promising total happiness, but often ending in disarray and despair. Based on interviews with many Silicon Valley executives who have decided to change their lives to achieve true well-being for themselves and their families, this book concludes with a formula for real success - a well-rounded, balanced, and fully human life.

Abolish Silicon Valley

Abolish Silicon Valley

Author: Wendy Liu

Publisher: Watkins Media Limited

Published: 2020-04-14

Total Pages: 235

ISBN-13: 1912248719

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Former insider turned critic Wendy Liu busts the myths of the tech industry, and offers a galvanising argument for why and how we must reclaim technology's potential for the public good. Former insider turned critic Wendy Liu busts the myths of the tech industry, and offers a galvanising argument for why and how we must reclaim technology's potential for the public good. "Lucid, probing and urgent. Wendy Liu manages to be both optimistic about the emancipatory potential of tech and scathing about the industry that has harnessed it for bleak and self-serving ends." -- Naomi Klein, author of On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal "An inspiring memoir manifesto...Technologists all over the world are realizing that no amount of code can substitute for political engagement. Liu's memoir is a road map for that journey of realization." -- Cory Doctorow, author of Radicalized and Little Brother Innovation. Meritocracy. The possibility of overnight success. What's not to love about Silicon Valley? These days, it's hard to be unambiguously optimistic about the growth-at-all-costs ethos of the tech industry. Public opinion is souring in the wake of revelations about Cambridge Analytica, Theranos, and the workplace conditions of Amazon workers or Uber drivers. It's becoming clear that the tech industry's promised "innovation" is neither sustainable nor always desirable. Abolish Silicon Valley is both a heartfelt personal story about the wasteful inequality of Silicon Valley, and a rallying call to engage in the radical politics needed to upend the status quo. Going beyond the idiosyncrasies of the individual founders and companies that characterise the industry today, Wendy Liu delves into the structural factors of the economy that gave rise to Silicon Valley as we know it. Ultimately, she proposes a more radical way of developing technology, where innovation is conducted for the benefit of society at large, and not just to enrich a select few.


Book Synopsis Abolish Silicon Valley by : Wendy Liu

Download or read book Abolish Silicon Valley written by Wendy Liu and published by Watkins Media Limited. This book was released on 2020-04-14 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Former insider turned critic Wendy Liu busts the myths of the tech industry, and offers a galvanising argument for why and how we must reclaim technology's potential for the public good. Former insider turned critic Wendy Liu busts the myths of the tech industry, and offers a galvanising argument for why and how we must reclaim technology's potential for the public good. "Lucid, probing and urgent. Wendy Liu manages to be both optimistic about the emancipatory potential of tech and scathing about the industry that has harnessed it for bleak and self-serving ends." -- Naomi Klein, author of On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal "An inspiring memoir manifesto...Technologists all over the world are realizing that no amount of code can substitute for political engagement. Liu's memoir is a road map for that journey of realization." -- Cory Doctorow, author of Radicalized and Little Brother Innovation. Meritocracy. The possibility of overnight success. What's not to love about Silicon Valley? These days, it's hard to be unambiguously optimistic about the growth-at-all-costs ethos of the tech industry. Public opinion is souring in the wake of revelations about Cambridge Analytica, Theranos, and the workplace conditions of Amazon workers or Uber drivers. It's becoming clear that the tech industry's promised "innovation" is neither sustainable nor always desirable. Abolish Silicon Valley is both a heartfelt personal story about the wasteful inequality of Silicon Valley, and a rallying call to engage in the radical politics needed to upend the status quo. Going beyond the idiosyncrasies of the individual founders and companies that characterise the industry today, Wendy Liu delves into the structural factors of the economy that gave rise to Silicon Valley as we know it. Ultimately, she proposes a more radical way of developing technology, where innovation is conducted for the benefit of society at large, and not just to enrich a select few.

Disrupted

Disrupted

Author: Dan Lyons

Publisher: Hachette Books

Published: 2016-04-05

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 031630607X

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An instant New York Times bestseller, Dan Lyons' "hysterical" (Recode) memoir, hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "the best book about Silicon Valley," takes readers inside the maddening world of fad-chasing venture capitalists, sales bros, social climbers, and sociopaths at today's tech startups. For twenty-five years Dan Lyons was a magazine writer at the top of his profession--until one Friday morning when he received a phone call: Poof. His job no longer existed. "I think they just want to hire younger people," his boss at Newsweek told him. Fifty years old and with a wife and two young kids, Dan was, in a word, screwed. Then an idea hit. Dan had long reported on Silicon Valley and the tech explosion. Why not join it? HubSpot, a Boston start-up, was flush with $100 million in venture capital. They offered Dan a pile of stock options for the vague role of "marketing fellow." What could go wrong? HubSpotters were true believers: They were making the world a better place ... by selling email spam. The office vibe was frat house meets cult compound: The party began at four thirty on Friday and lasted well into the night; "shower pods" became hook-up dens; a push-up club met at noon in the lobby, while nearby, in the "content factory," Nerf gun fights raged. Groups went on "walking meetings," and Dan's absentee boss sent cryptic emails about employees who had "graduated" (read: been fired). In the middle of all this was Dan, exactly twice the age of the average HubSpot employee, and literally old enough to be the father of most of his co-workers, sitting at his desk on his bouncy-ball "chair."


Book Synopsis Disrupted by : Dan Lyons

Download or read book Disrupted written by Dan Lyons and published by Hachette Books. This book was released on 2016-04-05 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An instant New York Times bestseller, Dan Lyons' "hysterical" (Recode) memoir, hailed by the Los Angeles Times as "the best book about Silicon Valley," takes readers inside the maddening world of fad-chasing venture capitalists, sales bros, social climbers, and sociopaths at today's tech startups. For twenty-five years Dan Lyons was a magazine writer at the top of his profession--until one Friday morning when he received a phone call: Poof. His job no longer existed. "I think they just want to hire younger people," his boss at Newsweek told him. Fifty years old and with a wife and two young kids, Dan was, in a word, screwed. Then an idea hit. Dan had long reported on Silicon Valley and the tech explosion. Why not join it? HubSpot, a Boston start-up, was flush with $100 million in venture capital. They offered Dan a pile of stock options for the vague role of "marketing fellow." What could go wrong? HubSpotters were true believers: They were making the world a better place ... by selling email spam. The office vibe was frat house meets cult compound: The party began at four thirty on Friday and lasted well into the night; "shower pods" became hook-up dens; a push-up club met at noon in the lobby, while nearby, in the "content factory," Nerf gun fights raged. Groups went on "walking meetings," and Dan's absentee boss sent cryptic emails about employees who had "graduated" (read: been fired). In the middle of all this was Dan, exactly twice the age of the average HubSpot employee, and literally old enough to be the father of most of his co-workers, sitting at his desk on his bouncy-ball "chair."

Down and Out in Silicon Valley

Down and Out in Silicon Valley

Author: Nicole Jerome

Publisher: Untied Artists

Published: 2009-11

Total Pages: 382

ISBN-13: 9780982402405

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"Down and Out in Silicon Valley" is a head-on collision between Saturday Night Live and Facebook, a humorous send-up of Silicon Valley's over-the-top lifestyles. The story is a warm, modern comedy. In today's economic times, people need a good laugh more than ever. The story captures the flavor of Silicon Valley's 24 x 7, hyper-drive world and the challenges faced in balancing life, love and job. Scenes cover a diverse landscape of people and cities - Web 2.0 lifestyles, venture capitalists, surfers, workaholics and Bohemians. "Down and Out in Silicon Valley" is focused on the social experience of the Valley rather than technology. The main character is a smart, hip, funny woman. She works with a wacky bunch. They're funny and heartbreaking at the same time, like your friends. Story Line ... Michelle Beldatori is in an impossible situation. Her credit cards are maxed out. Her boyfriend's laid off. Their savings are gone. She can't face living out of a camper shell and showering in a gym. Not to worry - Michelle's got a plan. She'll get hired by an Internet startup company, earn bonuses and pay the rent. Goodbye to Starbucks barista - hello to Twitter and life on the run. Then she meets Bud. He's got a different plan for Michelle. Bud's going to use her as a scapegoat for his problems. Watch sparks fly as Michelle struggles her way through Silicon Valley's hot new startup. She faces outrageous assignments - scavenger hunter for gourmet Chinese food, planner of wireless ski trips, divorce court nanny, therapist for pets ... Her life shifts again when she meets a wealthy, but misunderstood man. Martin Avery's a rogue and a risk taker, which makes him sexy and unpredictable. But he's caught in a lifestyle that's paid for with his freedom. Find out what happens when Michelle and Martin collide - and her future twists in an unexpected direction.


Book Synopsis Down and Out in Silicon Valley by : Nicole Jerome

Download or read book Down and Out in Silicon Valley written by Nicole Jerome and published by Untied Artists. This book was released on 2009-11 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Down and Out in Silicon Valley" is a head-on collision between Saturday Night Live and Facebook, a humorous send-up of Silicon Valley's over-the-top lifestyles. The story is a warm, modern comedy. In today's economic times, people need a good laugh more than ever. The story captures the flavor of Silicon Valley's 24 x 7, hyper-drive world and the challenges faced in balancing life, love and job. Scenes cover a diverse landscape of people and cities - Web 2.0 lifestyles, venture capitalists, surfers, workaholics and Bohemians. "Down and Out in Silicon Valley" is focused on the social experience of the Valley rather than technology. The main character is a smart, hip, funny woman. She works with a wacky bunch. They're funny and heartbreaking at the same time, like your friends. Story Line ... Michelle Beldatori is in an impossible situation. Her credit cards are maxed out. Her boyfriend's laid off. Their savings are gone. She can't face living out of a camper shell and showering in a gym. Not to worry - Michelle's got a plan. She'll get hired by an Internet startup company, earn bonuses and pay the rent. Goodbye to Starbucks barista - hello to Twitter and life on the run. Then she meets Bud. He's got a different plan for Michelle. Bud's going to use her as a scapegoat for his problems. Watch sparks fly as Michelle struggles her way through Silicon Valley's hot new startup. She faces outrageous assignments - scavenger hunter for gourmet Chinese food, planner of wireless ski trips, divorce court nanny, therapist for pets ... Her life shifts again when she meets a wealthy, but misunderstood man. Martin Avery's a rogue and a risk taker, which makes him sexy and unpredictable. But he's caught in a lifestyle that's paid for with his freedom. Find out what happens when Michelle and Martin collide - and her future twists in an unexpected direction.

Always Day One

Always Day One

Author: Alex Kantrowitz

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2020-04-07

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 0593083482

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"This is a terrific book" - Kara Swisher An acclaimed tech reporter reveals the inner workings of Amazon, Facebook, Google, Apple, and Microsoft, showing how to compete with the tech titans using their own playbook. At Amazon, "Day One" is code for inventing like a startup, with little regard for legacy. Day Two is, in Jeff Bezos's own words, "stasis, followed by irrelevance, followed by excruciating, painful decline, followed by death." Most companies today are set up for Day Two. They build advantages and defend them fiercely, rather than invent the future. But Amazon and fellow tech titans Facebook, Google, and Microsoft are operating in Day One: they prioritize reinvention over tradition and collaboration over ownership. Through 130 interviews with insiders, from Mark Zuckerberg to hourly workers, Always Day One reveals the tech giants' blueprint for sustainable success in a business world where no advantage is safe. Companies today can spin up new products at record speed -- thanks to artificial intelligence and cloud computing -- and those who stand still will be picked apart. The tech giants remain dominant because they've built cultures that spark continual reinvention. It might sound radical, but those who don't act like it's always day one do so at their own peril. Kantrowitz uncovers the engine propelling the tech giants' continued dominance at a stage when most big companies begin to decline. And he shows the way forward for everyone who wants to compete with--and beat--the titans.


Book Synopsis Always Day One by : Alex Kantrowitz

Download or read book Always Day One written by Alex Kantrowitz and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-04-07 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This is a terrific book" - Kara Swisher An acclaimed tech reporter reveals the inner workings of Amazon, Facebook, Google, Apple, and Microsoft, showing how to compete with the tech titans using their own playbook. At Amazon, "Day One" is code for inventing like a startup, with little regard for legacy. Day Two is, in Jeff Bezos's own words, "stasis, followed by irrelevance, followed by excruciating, painful decline, followed by death." Most companies today are set up for Day Two. They build advantages and defend them fiercely, rather than invent the future. But Amazon and fellow tech titans Facebook, Google, and Microsoft are operating in Day One: they prioritize reinvention over tradition and collaboration over ownership. Through 130 interviews with insiders, from Mark Zuckerberg to hourly workers, Always Day One reveals the tech giants' blueprint for sustainable success in a business world where no advantage is safe. Companies today can spin up new products at record speed -- thanks to artificial intelligence and cloud computing -- and those who stand still will be picked apart. The tech giants remain dominant because they've built cultures that spark continual reinvention. It might sound radical, but those who don't act like it's always day one do so at their own peril. Kantrowitz uncovers the engine propelling the tech giants' continued dominance at a stage when most big companies begin to decline. And he shows the way forward for everyone who wants to compete with--and beat--the titans.

Down and Out in Purgatory

Down and Out in Purgatory

Author: Tim Powers

Publisher: Baen Books

Published: 2017-11-07

Total Pages: 496

ISBN-13: 1625796161

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Twenty pulse-pounding, mind-bending tales of science fiction, twisted metaphysics, and supernatural wonder from the two-time World Fantasy and Philip K. Dick Award winning author of The Anubis Gatesand On Stranger Tides. A complete palette of story-telling colors from Powers, including acclaimed tale “The Bible Repairman,” where a psychic handyman who supernaturally eliminates troublesome passages of the Bible for paying clients finds the remains of his own broken soul on the line when tasked with rescuing the kidnapped ghost of a rich man’s daughter. Time travel takes a savage twist in “Salvage and Demolition,” where the chance discovery of a long-lost manuscript throws a down-and-out book collector back in time to 1950s San Francisco where he must prevent an ancient Sumeric inscription from dooming millions in the future. Humor and horror mix in “Sufficient unto the Day,” when a raucous Thanksgiving feast takes a dark turn as the invited ghosts of relatives past accidentally draw soul-stealing demons into the family television set. And obsession and vengeance survive on the other side of death in “Down and Out in Purgatory,” where the soul of a man lusting for revenge attempts to eternally eliminate the killer who murdered the love of his life. Wide-ranging, wonder-inducing, mind-bending—these and other tales make up the complete shorter works of a modern-day master of science fiction and fantasy. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About Tim Powers: "Powers writes in a clean, elegant style that illuminates without slowing down the tale. . . . [He] promises marvels and horrors, and delivers them all."—Orson Scott Card ". . . immensely clever stuff.... Powers' prose is often vivid and arresting . . . All in all, Powers' unique voice in science fiction continues to grow stronger.”—Washington Post Book World “Powers is at heart a storyteller, and ruthlessly shapes his material into narrative form.”—The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction “On Stranger Tides . . . immediately hooks you and drags you along in sympathy with one central character's appalling misfortunes on the Spanish Main, [and] escalates from there to closing mega-thrills so determinedly spiced that your palate is left almost jaded."—David Langford "On Stranger Tides . . . was the inspiration for Monkey Island. If you read this book you can really see where Guybrush and LeChuck were -plagiarized- derived from, plus the heavy influence of voodoo in the game. . . . [the book] had a lot of what made fantasy interesting . . .”—legendary game designer Ron Gilbert “Powers's strengths [are] his originality, his action-crammed plots, and his ventures into the mysterious, dark, and supernatural.” Los Angeles Times Book Review "[Powers’ work delivers] an intense and intimate sense of period or realization of milieu; taut plotting, with human development and destiny . . . and, looming above all, an awareness of history itself as a merciless turning of supernatural wheels. . . . Powers' descriptions . . . are breathtaking, sublimely precise . . . his status as one of fantasy's major stylists can no longer be in doubt.”—SF Site


Book Synopsis Down and Out in Purgatory by : Tim Powers

Download or read book Down and Out in Purgatory written by Tim Powers and published by Baen Books. This book was released on 2017-11-07 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Twenty pulse-pounding, mind-bending tales of science fiction, twisted metaphysics, and supernatural wonder from the two-time World Fantasy and Philip K. Dick Award winning author of The Anubis Gatesand On Stranger Tides. A complete palette of story-telling colors from Powers, including acclaimed tale “The Bible Repairman,” where a psychic handyman who supernaturally eliminates troublesome passages of the Bible for paying clients finds the remains of his own broken soul on the line when tasked with rescuing the kidnapped ghost of a rich man’s daughter. Time travel takes a savage twist in “Salvage and Demolition,” where the chance discovery of a long-lost manuscript throws a down-and-out book collector back in time to 1950s San Francisco where he must prevent an ancient Sumeric inscription from dooming millions in the future. Humor and horror mix in “Sufficient unto the Day,” when a raucous Thanksgiving feast takes a dark turn as the invited ghosts of relatives past accidentally draw soul-stealing demons into the family television set. And obsession and vengeance survive on the other side of death in “Down and Out in Purgatory,” where the soul of a man lusting for revenge attempts to eternally eliminate the killer who murdered the love of his life. Wide-ranging, wonder-inducing, mind-bending—these and other tales make up the complete shorter works of a modern-day master of science fiction and fantasy. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About Tim Powers: "Powers writes in a clean, elegant style that illuminates without slowing down the tale. . . . [He] promises marvels and horrors, and delivers them all."—Orson Scott Card ". . . immensely clever stuff.... Powers' prose is often vivid and arresting . . . All in all, Powers' unique voice in science fiction continues to grow stronger.”—Washington Post Book World “Powers is at heart a storyteller, and ruthlessly shapes his material into narrative form.”—The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction “On Stranger Tides . . . immediately hooks you and drags you along in sympathy with one central character's appalling misfortunes on the Spanish Main, [and] escalates from there to closing mega-thrills so determinedly spiced that your palate is left almost jaded."—David Langford "On Stranger Tides . . . was the inspiration for Monkey Island. If you read this book you can really see where Guybrush and LeChuck were -plagiarized- derived from, plus the heavy influence of voodoo in the game. . . . [the book] had a lot of what made fantasy interesting . . .”—legendary game designer Ron Gilbert “Powers's strengths [are] his originality, his action-crammed plots, and his ventures into the mysterious, dark, and supernatural.” Los Angeles Times Book Review "[Powers’ work delivers] an intense and intimate sense of period or realization of milieu; taut plotting, with human development and destiny . . . and, looming above all, an awareness of history itself as a merciless turning of supernatural wheels. . . . Powers' descriptions . . . are breathtaking, sublimely precise . . . his status as one of fantasy's major stylists can no longer be in doubt.”—SF Site

Down and Out in the New Economy

Down and Out in the New Economy

Author: Ilana Gershon

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2024-07-06

Total Pages: 302

ISBN-13: 0226833224

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Finding a job used to be simple. You’d show up at an office and ask for an application. A friend would mention a job in their department. Or you’d see an ad in a newspaper and send in your cover letter. Maybe you’d call the company a week later to check in, but the basic approach was easy. And once you got a job, you would stay—often for decades. Now . . . well, it’s complicated. If you want to have a shot at a good job, you need to have a robust profile on LinkdIn. And an enticing personal brand. Or something like that—contemporary how-to books tend to offer contradictory advice. But they agree on one thing: in today’s economy, you can’t just be an employee looking to get hired—you have to market yourself as a business, one that can help another business achieve its goals. That’s a radical transformation in how we think about work and employment, says Ilana Gershon. And with Down and Out in the New Economy, she digs deep into that change and what it means, not just for job seekers, but for businesses and our very culture. In telling her story, Gershon covers all parts of the employment spectrum: she interviews hiring managers about how they assess candidates; attends personal branding seminars; talks with managers at companies around the United States to suss out regional differences—like how Silicon Valley firms look askance at the lengthier employment tenures of applicants from the Midwest. And she finds that not everything has changed: though the technological trappings may be glitzier, in a lot of cases, who you know remains more important than what you know. Throughout, Gershon keeps her eye on bigger questions, interested not in what lessons job-seekers can take—though there are plenty of those here—but on what it means to consider yourself a business. What does that blurring of personal and vocational lives do to our sense of our selves, the economy, our communities? Though it’s often dressed up in the language of liberation, is this approach actually disempowering workers at the expense of corporations? Rich in the voices of people deeply involved with all parts of the employment process, Down and Out in the New Economy offers a snapshot of the quest for work today—and a pointed analysis of its larger meaning.


Book Synopsis Down and Out in the New Economy by : Ilana Gershon

Download or read book Down and Out in the New Economy written by Ilana Gershon and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2024-07-06 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Finding a job used to be simple. You’d show up at an office and ask for an application. A friend would mention a job in their department. Or you’d see an ad in a newspaper and send in your cover letter. Maybe you’d call the company a week later to check in, but the basic approach was easy. And once you got a job, you would stay—often for decades. Now . . . well, it’s complicated. If you want to have a shot at a good job, you need to have a robust profile on LinkdIn. And an enticing personal brand. Or something like that—contemporary how-to books tend to offer contradictory advice. But they agree on one thing: in today’s economy, you can’t just be an employee looking to get hired—you have to market yourself as a business, one that can help another business achieve its goals. That’s a radical transformation in how we think about work and employment, says Ilana Gershon. And with Down and Out in the New Economy, she digs deep into that change and what it means, not just for job seekers, but for businesses and our very culture. In telling her story, Gershon covers all parts of the employment spectrum: she interviews hiring managers about how they assess candidates; attends personal branding seminars; talks with managers at companies around the United States to suss out regional differences—like how Silicon Valley firms look askance at the lengthier employment tenures of applicants from the Midwest. And she finds that not everything has changed: though the technological trappings may be glitzier, in a lot of cases, who you know remains more important than what you know. Throughout, Gershon keeps her eye on bigger questions, interested not in what lessons job-seekers can take—though there are plenty of those here—but on what it means to consider yourself a business. What does that blurring of personal and vocational lives do to our sense of our selves, the economy, our communities? Though it’s often dressed up in the language of liberation, is this approach actually disempowering workers at the expense of corporations? Rich in the voices of people deeply involved with all parts of the employment process, Down and Out in the New Economy offers a snapshot of the quest for work today—and a pointed analysis of its larger meaning.

Seeing Silicon Valley

Seeing Silicon Valley

Author: Mary Beth Meehan

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2021-05-12

Total Pages: 113

ISBN-13: 022678648X

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Also published in French as Visages de la Silicon Valley.


Book Synopsis Seeing Silicon Valley by : Mary Beth Meehan

Download or read book Seeing Silicon Valley written by Mary Beth Meehan and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2021-05-12 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Also published in French as Visages de la Silicon Valley.

Lean Out

Lean Out

Author: Elissa Shevinksy

Publisher: OR Books

Published: 2015-09-03

Total Pages: 198

ISBN-13: 1939293871

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“Disconcertingly thought-provoking.” —TechCrunch "Nineteen disruptive, disturbing and divergent voices ... an honest portrait of a network of gender-oppressed people leaning every which way." —Feministing "Everyone who hires or manages anyone in tech ought to read the remarkable book Lean Out. If tech companies are unwelcoming places, to hell with them. Start your own company and run it better." —The Los Angeles Times Why aren’t the great, qualified women already in tech being hired or promoted? Should people who don’t fit in seek to join an institution that is actively hostile to them? Does the tech industry deserve women leaders? The split between the stated ideals of the corporate elite and the reality of working life for women in the tech industry—whether in large public tech companies or VC-backed start-ups, in anonymous gaming forums, or in Silicon Valley or Alley—seems designed to crush women’s spirits. Corporate manifestos by women who already fit in (or who are able to convincingly fake it) aren’t helping. There is a high cost for the generation of young women and transgender people currently navigating the harsh realities of the tech industry, who gave themselves to their careers only to be ignored, harassed and disrespected. Not everyone can be a CEO; not everyone is able to embrace a workplace culture that diminishes the contributions of women and ignores real complaints. The very culture of high tech, where foosball tables and endless supplies of beer are de facto perks, but maternity leave and breast-feeding stations are controversial, is designed to appeal to young men. Lean Out collects 25 stories from the modern tech industry, from people who fought GamerGate and from women and transgender artists who have made their own games, from women who have started their own companies and who have worked for some of the most successful corporations in America, from LGBTQ women, from women of color, from transgender people and people who do not ascribe to a gender. All are fed up with the glacial pace of cultural change in America’s tech industry. Included are essays by anna anthropy, Leigh Alexander, Sunny Allen, Lauren Bacon, Katherine Cross, Dom DeGuzman, FAKEGRIMLOCK, Krys Freeman, Gesche Haas, Ash Huang, Erica Joy, Jenni Lee, Katy Levinson, Melanie Moore, Leanne Pittsford, Brook Shelley, Elissa Shevinsky, Erica Swallow, and Squinky. Edited and selected by entrepreneur and tech veteran Elissa Shevinsky, Lean Out sees a possible way forward that uses tech and creative disengagement to jettison 20th century corporate culture: “I’ve figured out a way to create safe space for myself in tech,” writes Shevinsky. “I’ve left Silicon Valley, and now work remotely from home. I adore everyone on my team, because I hired them myself.”


Book Synopsis Lean Out by : Elissa Shevinksy

Download or read book Lean Out written by Elissa Shevinksy and published by OR Books. This book was released on 2015-09-03 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Disconcertingly thought-provoking.” —TechCrunch "Nineteen disruptive, disturbing and divergent voices ... an honest portrait of a network of gender-oppressed people leaning every which way." —Feministing "Everyone who hires or manages anyone in tech ought to read the remarkable book Lean Out. If tech companies are unwelcoming places, to hell with them. Start your own company and run it better." —The Los Angeles Times Why aren’t the great, qualified women already in tech being hired or promoted? Should people who don’t fit in seek to join an institution that is actively hostile to them? Does the tech industry deserve women leaders? The split between the stated ideals of the corporate elite and the reality of working life for women in the tech industry—whether in large public tech companies or VC-backed start-ups, in anonymous gaming forums, or in Silicon Valley or Alley—seems designed to crush women’s spirits. Corporate manifestos by women who already fit in (or who are able to convincingly fake it) aren’t helping. There is a high cost for the generation of young women and transgender people currently navigating the harsh realities of the tech industry, who gave themselves to their careers only to be ignored, harassed and disrespected. Not everyone can be a CEO; not everyone is able to embrace a workplace culture that diminishes the contributions of women and ignores real complaints. The very culture of high tech, where foosball tables and endless supplies of beer are de facto perks, but maternity leave and breast-feeding stations are controversial, is designed to appeal to young men. Lean Out collects 25 stories from the modern tech industry, from people who fought GamerGate and from women and transgender artists who have made their own games, from women who have started their own companies and who have worked for some of the most successful corporations in America, from LGBTQ women, from women of color, from transgender people and people who do not ascribe to a gender. All are fed up with the glacial pace of cultural change in America’s tech industry. Included are essays by anna anthropy, Leigh Alexander, Sunny Allen, Lauren Bacon, Katherine Cross, Dom DeGuzman, FAKEGRIMLOCK, Krys Freeman, Gesche Haas, Ash Huang, Erica Joy, Jenni Lee, Katy Levinson, Melanie Moore, Leanne Pittsford, Brook Shelley, Elissa Shevinsky, Erica Swallow, and Squinky. Edited and selected by entrepreneur and tech veteran Elissa Shevinsky, Lean Out sees a possible way forward that uses tech and creative disengagement to jettison 20th century corporate culture: “I’ve figured out a way to create safe space for myself in tech,” writes Shevinsky. “I’ve left Silicon Valley, and now work remotely from home. I adore everyone on my team, because I hired them myself.”

Secrets of Silicon Valley

Secrets of Silicon Valley

Author: Deborah Perry Piscione

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Published: 2013-04-02

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 113732421X

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While the global economy languishes, one place just keeps growing despite failing banks, uncertain markets, and high unemployment: Silicon Valley. In the last two years, more than 100 incubators have popped up there, and the number of angel investors has skyrocketed. Today, 40 percent of all venture capital investments in the United States come from Silicon Valley firms, compared to 10 percent from New York. In Secrets of Silicon Valley, entrepreneur and media commentator Deborah Perry Piscione takes us inside this vibrant ecosystem where meritocracy rules the day. She explores Silicon Valley's exceptionally risk-tolerant culture, and why it thrives despite the many laws that make California one of the worst states in the union for business. Drawing on interviews with investors, entrepreneurs, and community leaders, as well as a host of case studies from Google to Paypal, Piscione argues that Silicon Valley's unique culture is the best hope for the future of American prosperity and the global business community and offers lessons from the Valley to inspire reform in other communities and industries, from Washington, DC to Wall Street.


Book Synopsis Secrets of Silicon Valley by : Deborah Perry Piscione

Download or read book Secrets of Silicon Valley written by Deborah Perry Piscione and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2013-04-02 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While the global economy languishes, one place just keeps growing despite failing banks, uncertain markets, and high unemployment: Silicon Valley. In the last two years, more than 100 incubators have popped up there, and the number of angel investors has skyrocketed. Today, 40 percent of all venture capital investments in the United States come from Silicon Valley firms, compared to 10 percent from New York. In Secrets of Silicon Valley, entrepreneur and media commentator Deborah Perry Piscione takes us inside this vibrant ecosystem where meritocracy rules the day. She explores Silicon Valley's exceptionally risk-tolerant culture, and why it thrives despite the many laws that make California one of the worst states in the union for business. Drawing on interviews with investors, entrepreneurs, and community leaders, as well as a host of case studies from Google to Paypal, Piscione argues that Silicon Valley's unique culture is the best hope for the future of American prosperity and the global business community and offers lessons from the Valley to inspire reform in other communities and industries, from Washington, DC to Wall Street.