{"product_id":"the-venture-alchemists-rob-lalka-9780231210263","title":"The Venture Alchemists: How Big Tech Turned Profits Into Power","description":"\u003cp\u003eWe once idolized tech entrepreneurs for creating innovations that seemed like modern miracles. Yet our faith has been shattered. We now blame them for spreading lies, breaking laws, and causing chaos. Yesterday's Silicon Valley darlings have become today's Big Tech villains. Which is it? Are they superheroes or scoundrels? Or is it more complicated, some blend of both? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Venture Alchemists\u003c\/i\u003e, Rob Lalka demystifies how tech entrepreneurs built empires that made trillions. Meta started as a cruel Halloween prank, Alphabet began as a master's thesis that warned against corporate deception, and Palantir came from a campus controversy over hateful speech. These largely forgotten origin stories show how ordinary fears and youthful ambitions shaped their ventures--making each tech tale relatable, both wonderfully and tragically human. Readers learn about the adversities tech entrepreneurs overcame, the troubling tradeoffs they made, and the tremendous power they now wield. Using leaked documents and previously unpublished archival material, Lalka takes readers inside Big Tech's worst exploitations and abuses, alongside many good intentions and moral compromises. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBut this story remains unfinished, and \u003ci\u003eThe Venture Alchemists\u003c\/i\u003e ultimately offers hope from the people who, decades ago, warned about the risks of the emerging Internet. Their insights illuminate a path toward more responsible innovations, so that technologies aren't dangerous weapons but valuable tools that ensure progress, improve society, and enhance our daily lives.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Rob Lalka\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0231210264\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780231210263\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Columbia Business School Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/14\/2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 496\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.80lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.30h x 6.10w x 1.50d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/11\/2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/01\/0001\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eForeword\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/25\/2024","brand":"Rob Lalka","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44966206669055,"sku":"9780231210263","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_76d444ee-5870-4f59-9016-08a0dc1428e4.jpg?v=1711159178","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-venture-alchemists-rob-lalka-9780231210263","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}