Scan barcode
kking6's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I personally felt that the way the author characterized some people (ie physical descriptions) in the book was unnecessary (eg referring to someone being slobby while also referencing weight).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Medical content
Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide
andotherworlds's review against another edition
3.0
3 // This was certainly comprehensive and well researched. I will say that for the incredibly interesting topic that this is, the book felt a bit too dry at times to match the subject’s intrigue. Also, I feel like no enough #girlboss credit was given to Queen Holmes.
delekelll's review against another edition
3.5
Interesting but not super exceptional nonfiction for me, a fun thing to compare with the book 'Sucker'
blueceliac314's review against another edition
5.0
Carreyrou's book is the most fiction-like non-fiction book I have read. The pile of lies and deceit gradually builds up across the events of Theranos and then switches to Carreyrou's perspective as an investigative journalist, making the book fast-paced.
I recently read "The Cult of We" about Wework and Adam Neumann and Holmes shares many common features with Neumann: charismatic with an ability to sell, but a poor receptor of critical feedback. This gave Theranos large amounts of funding, an impressive board of directors, and contracts lined up, making it seem like a promising company. Just like a stock market that builds up, the piles of lies about their devices eventually bursts as deadlines, regulators, journalists, and ex-employees start to pressure the company.
It was shocking to what lengths Holmes and Balwani went for secrecy and squashing any potentially negative information by sending teams of lawyers against ex-employees, doctors, and even patients.
It was equally shocking that they attempted to release their broken products and give patients completely incorrect false medical information. The difference between Holmes and Neumann is that Holmes failed to build her product and harmed far more people in the process. It is unfortunate that regulators took so long to step in.
I recently read "The Cult of We" about Wework and Adam Neumann and Holmes shares many common features with Neumann: charismatic with an ability to sell, but a poor receptor of critical feedback. This gave Theranos large amounts of funding, an impressive board of directors, and contracts lined up, making it seem like a promising company. Just like a stock market that builds up, the piles of lies about their devices eventually bursts as deadlines, regulators, journalists, and ex-employees start to pressure the company.
It was shocking to what lengths Holmes and Balwani went for secrecy and squashing any potentially negative information by sending teams of lawyers against ex-employees, doctors, and even patients.
It was equally shocking that they attempted to release their broken products and give patients completely incorrect false medical information. The difference between Holmes and Neumann is that Holmes failed to build her product and harmed far more people in the process. It is unfortunate that regulators took so long to step in.
this_little_bookshelf's review against another edition
informative
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This book tracks the rise and fall of Theranos, a fraudulent biomedical start up peddling revolutionary technology that does not work. This is one of those non-fiction books that seem almost too unbelievable to be true and I could not put it down!