Careless People

Unpopular opinion coming. I think the reason Careless People is getting so many glowing five-star reviews is mostly because people love seeing someone stick it to Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg right now. And I totally get the appeal of criticizing big tech, but if you judge the book just on its merits, it definitely doesn't deserve this much praise.

Wynn-Williams is not a bad writer, especially considering it's her first book, and there are a few interesting or amusing anecdotes. But from the very first chapter, her tone is so exaggerated, it's hard to take seriously. She constantly presents herself as smarter, more ethical, and generally superior to everyone around her, including suggesting that Zuckerberg wouldn't even have had access to some influential people without her help. It's so exaggerated it quickly becomes annoying.

The book feels driven by bitterness, and the author often seems more interested in settling personal scores than offering meaningful insights or analysis. Almost every page comes across as a way for Wynn-Williams to highlight how everyone else around her is either incompetent, unethical, or just plain stupid. It completely undermines the credibility of her story and weakens any genuine critique she might have.

Additionally, the book suffers from a lack of focus. Many chapters feel random, filled with irrelevant anecdotes that go nowhere—like her long section about struggling to find a manual breast pump in Turkey or being worried about getting Zika. It's not deep enough to be a biography, so not sure what role those stories play.

If you still want to read it, I'd suggest approaching it as casual entertainment rather than expecting deep insights into big tech. Wynn-Williams certainly has potential as a writer, but this book would have benefited greatly from being shorter, sharper, and far less self-centered.