Member Review
Review by
Jill M, Librarian
The author's sojourn in Silicon Valley is simultaneously disturbing and banal, like an episode of "Black Mirror." Wiener works in customer service for two different tech firms, after starting her working life in publishing in New York City, then washing out of an e-book startup. When she tries to bring her book-loving personality and natural talents to the e-book world, she intercepts a chat in which she is pilloried for "learning, not doing." This is actually viewed as a drawback.
When this creative soul is transplanted to Silicon Valley to work for young, hyper, tech dudes presiding over startup companies, rolling in millions in venture capital and crippled with Messiah complexes, Wiener must do customer service 7/365 on her own phone. She is obliged to go on weird corporate retreats. She feels devotedly loyal to the CEOs and tries to ignore the growing warning signs that all is not well, in San Francisco, in modern tech, and in her own soul. Her life evolves pretty much as expected and she experiences discrimination in this men's world. After all, women are "good at" customer service by nature, aren't they? It's not like she's writing code or anything. I feared that these egotistic males who wanted to "move fast and break things" would break Wiener as well, but, as one would guess from the fact that she has written a memoir, they didn't.
Some readers may observe that this memoir enumerates strictly first-world problems: poor baby, earning six figures.
I, however, was inspired to wonder, along with the author, why we let these young men take over our entire lives and invade our privacy to such a massive extent. Are they worth either the power or the billions that we have given them? Are their cool tools worth it? How much power do they really have? The new Twenties should mark the end of our dreamy infatuation with these companies, their products, and the men who get preposterously rich creating them. This insightful memoir could not be more timely.
When this creative soul is transplanted to Silicon Valley to work for young, hyper, tech dudes presiding over startup companies, rolling in millions in venture capital and crippled with Messiah complexes, Wiener must do customer service 7/365 on her own phone. She is obliged to go on weird corporate retreats. She feels devotedly loyal to the CEOs and tries to ignore the growing warning signs that all is not well, in San Francisco, in modern tech, and in her own soul. Her life evolves pretty much as expected and she experiences discrimination in this men's world. After all, women are "good at" customer service by nature, aren't they? It's not like she's writing code or anything. I feared that these egotistic males who wanted to "move fast and break things" would break Wiener as well, but, as one would guess from the fact that she has written a memoir, they didn't.
Some readers may observe that this memoir enumerates strictly first-world problems: poor baby, earning six figures.
I, however, was inspired to wonder, along with the author, why we let these young men take over our entire lives and invade our privacy to such a massive extent. Are they worth either the power or the billions that we have given them? Are their cool tools worth it? How much power do they really have? The new Twenties should mark the end of our dreamy infatuation with these companies, their products, and the men who get preposterously rich creating them. This insightful memoir could not be more timely.
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
