Careless People

A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism

by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Hardcover, 400 pages

English language

Published Jan. 1, 2025 by Flatiron Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-250-39123-0
ASIN:: 1250391237
Goodreads:: 223436601

(14 reviews)

An explosive memoir charting one woman’s career at the heart of one of the most influential companies on the planet, Careless People gives you a front-row seat to Facebook, the decisions that have shaped world events in recent decades, and the people who made them.

From trips on private jets and encounters with world leaders to shocking accounts of misogyny and double standards behind the scenes, this searing memoir exposes both the personal and the political fallout when unfettered power and a rotten company culture take hold. In a gripping and often absurd narrative where a few people carelessly hold the world in their hands, this eye-opening memoir reveals what really goes on among the global elite.

Sarah Wynn-Williams tells the wrenching but fun story of Facebook, mapping its rise from stumbling encounters with juntas to Mark Zuckerberg’s reaction when he learned of Facebook’s role in Trump’s election. She experiences the challenges and humiliations of working motherhood within a pressure cooker of a workplace, all while Sheryl Sandberg urges her and others to “lean in.”

Careless People is a deeply personal account of why and how things have gone so horribly wrong in the past decade—told in a sharp, candid, and utterly disarming voice. A deep, unflinching look at the role that social media has assumed in our lives, Careless People reveals the truth about the leaders of Facebook: how the more power they grasp, the less responsible they become and the consequences this has for all of us.

3 editions

Peter W. Flint reviewed Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

What a ride!

4 stars

Well-written for the most part. Some minor issues in use of tense but I blame the editor. It’s a good inside look at the culture within one of the worlds most influential companies and says a lot about how we measure success as a society. I think the perspective of an outsider from the corporate standpoint (UN background) and cultural standpoint (NZ citizen) is really important for seeing and understanding the harm that Facebook and other growth-at-all-costs enterprises have done to both their employees and customers. I laughed throughout the whole book at the absurdity of it all, then I took away a star because I remembered this is nonfiction and I have to actually do some mental and emotional labor in how I respond to the information within.

Bernie the Wordsmith reviewed Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Holy guacamole

4 stars

A harrowing tale about a spoiled kid emperor and his cadre of monsters, told by a New Zealand diplomat. Do not ever touch Facebook even with a 10-foot pole

knizer reviewed Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Stressful

5 stars

Quick read, well written narrative. Stressful story. Everything inside Facebook was worse than you thought.

andbenn reviewed Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

A riveting book from the inside leadership at Facebook

4 stars

Really enjoyed this. Thinking critically, I have to assume that this may be a bit lopsided in it's views and takes.

However, the wealth of experiences the author brings are just overwhelming. The fact that due to legal action, the author was not permitted to promote the book says something for how the Facebook legal team sees the stories.

In many cases, just simple in-actions have grave consequences. Philosophers have struggled about the importance of doing the right thing and action as part of leadership, and it's well written over time. History is covered in inaction examples.

This should be on the reading list for any company leader or manager.

Christian Steiner reviewed Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Als Hörbuch eine klare Empfehlung

No rating

Ein interessanter Einblick in die inneren Strukturen von einem der schlimmsten Konzerne der Welt. Auch spannend, wie Zuckerberg beschrieben wird. Klare Leseempfehlung für alle, die konkrete Beispiele suchen, warum Facebook und Meta so problematisch sind!

tiff reviewed Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

I... have thoughts

4 stars

Mixed feelings about the author and her portrayal of her involvement in this whole mess. I'm not sure a grown adult could be so fucking naive on purpose if they tried, which is why I really don't know what to think about her. I think I know what I'd do in the same situation but maybe I don't. She comes across well in the beginning but by the middle and end I was really getting irritated with her aw shucks I just wanted to get Facebook better prepared for public policy! Yet she is completely unaware that it is she who went to them and pitched them a job. That job she pitched them didn't exist and once it did, you have a bunch of psychopathic billionaires who were already evil people now awash in political power and even more money.

I put it down a couple times because …

I put it down a couple times because I felt myself hyperventilating from the cascades of anxiety that this whole book filled me with. Good read, with the caveat the author is pretending to be a shrinking violet that shirks her responsibility in opening this Pandora's Box.

Adam reviewed Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

Eye-opening and unsurprising at the same time

4 stars

I was a at best a reluctant user of FB, and my scepticism of tech had probably kicked in before the time frame of this book, but I definitely held that kind of naïve optimism about tech's power for good at some point in time - a thing that in 2025 is already proving really difficult to rationalise in hindsight.

It's not a huge surprise to learn that the big personalities in this book are all dicks, and that working culture in a Silicon Valley tech company is dysfunctional and toxic. It was also good to be reminded just how implicated FB is in genocides and shitty election outcomes. On top of the diss to tech company culture (which I am always here for), Wynn-Williams' personal story is actually pretty killer (almost literally a couple of times) on its own!

Guerric Haché reviewed Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams

An energetic read about an atrocious company

5 stars

Sarah Wynn-Williams is a very effective writer, with a kinetic and quick style that is personable and to the point.

And the things she describes...

Look, I am not going to mince words. The author effectively describes the way Facebook's narcissistic executives and toxic corporate culture propel the company into committing and abetting crimes against humanity.

It's no wonder they are desperate to shut this book down. If half of what she says is true, the entire leadership team should go to jail and the entire company should be burned to the ground.