Marzenia nieźle się sprzedają. Któż by nie chciał zobaczyć świetlanej przyszłości tu i teraz? Albo przynajmniej jutro? Nie ma problemu, ktoś na pewno ma już w tej sprawie biznesplan. Gorzej, gdy marzenia trzeba zmaterializować... „Udawaj aż do skutku” to być może najważniejsze motto firm działających w kalifornijskiej Dolinie Krzemowej. Zdaje się, że mantrę tę powtarzają sobie w kółko zarówno założyciele, szefowie jak i pracownicy – od małych start-upów do gigantów nowoczesnych technologii. Nie mamy obiecanego produktu – udawaj aż do skutku. Nie działa coś, co miało trafić na rynek już dawno temu – udawaj aż do skutku. Może się w końcu uda. Jeden pracownik powie, że to niemożliwe – pewnie nie czuje ducha Doliny Krzemowej. Drugi pracownik mówi, że się nie da – pewnie nie pasuje do filozofii firmy. Trzeci powie, że da radę – zatrudniamy! A potem produkt trafia do konsumentów... Ileż razy niedziałające sprzęty i wieszające się oprogramowanie było jest i będzie kwitowane prostą odpowiedzią ze wsparcia technicznego: „u nas działa”? Nie zliczymy. Ale to wszystko przestaje być „zabawne”, gdy w grę chodzi ludzkie życie (i miliony dolarów wyłożone na to wszystko z kieszeni małych i wielkich inwestorów).

 

John Carreyrou „Zła krew” (źródło: marginesy.com.pl)

 

Tak mniej więcej się stało w przypadku firmy Theranos, opisanej przez Johna Carreyrou, dziennikarza „The Wall Street Journal”. Firma ta osiągnęła ogromny sukces w postaci setek milionów dolarów pozyskanych od inwestorów i 9 mld USD wyceny rynkowej. A to wszystko nie posiadając produktu, który obiecywała. Osiągnęła przede wszystkim wielki sukces marketingowy, sprzedając marzenia bazujące na ludzkim strachu przed pobieraniem krwi (igły, potencjalnie zły wynik testu wskazujący na chorobę), braku powszechnych ubezpieczeń zdrowotnych Amerykanów (koszty trudne do zaakceptowania przez przeciętnego pacjenta) i dominacji wielkich firm diagnostycznych (wysokie ceny usług, walka z „Wielkim Bratem”) działających na rynku amerykańskim.

 

Cieśnina Golden Gate (Kalifornia, Stany Zjedn., luty 2019 r.)

 

„Zła krew” Johna Carreyrou to znakomita lektura, ukazująca wyniki jego dziennikarskiego śledztwa. Książka dotyczy największego jednostkowego „przekrętu” w Dolinie Krzemowej i warto się z nią zapoznać, mając też na uwadze i wiele dobrych rzeczy, które zrobiły dla nas różne firmy high-tech.

 

John Carreyrou „Zła krew” - w postaci e-booka można kupić m.in. w księgarni Ebookpoint.

 

 

Dolina Krzemowa (i okolice) w literaturze

 

	„Piloting Palm” Andra Butter, David Pogue
	„Innowatorzy” Walter Isaacson
	„Steve Jobs” Walter Isaacson
	„Jednym kliknięciem” Richard L. Brandt
	„Jeff Bezos i era Amazona. Sklep, w którym kupisz wszystko” Brad Stone
	„Bezonomika. Jak Amazon zmienia nasze życie i czego uczą się od niego najlepsze firmy na świecie” Brian Dumaine
	„Netflix. To się nigdy nie uda” Marc Randolph
	„Zła krew” John Carreyrou
	„Republika Samsunga. Azjatycki tygrys, który podbił świat technologii” Geoffrey Cain
	„Praca sezonowa. Miesiąc w Amazonie” Heike Geissler

 

Interesting and informative. The book contained information I hadn't come across before.

It considers warp knitting machine manufacturers the technology leader for industrial knitting machines used for technical and medical products. In the fashion world, it is recognised for the quality of its stitch and for its Intarsia machines. Steiger delivers its products worldwide through a sales and extended service network.

 

A corporate culture based on innovation and a partnership with CiXing group has enabled Steiger to remain a technology leader in the flat knitting industry.Further informationFor further information visit booth H4C01 or contact Mr Pierre-Yves Bonvin on +41 (0)24 482 22 50 or by email at [email protected].high-tech socks.The company is a supplier to the most important producers of stockings, socks and tights, for the men's, women's and children's markets - classic, patterned, sports, technical-sports,

 

as well as medical, with special solutions for graduated compression.Busi sells in more than 50 countries around the world (90% export) through a network of partners that provide distribution and service.www.busigiovanni.com

Extreme Wildfire: Smoke Jumpers, High-Te... Extreme Wildfire was an interesting and educational read. Everything is laid out in a thoughtful, easy to understand fashion. The fire facts, nature’s signals, and notes from the fields each give small bursts of useful (and cool!) information. I liked reading up on the famous fires. I’d never even heard of most of the fires, including Black Saturday or the Big Blowup. The pictures really give you a sense of what it’s like to be there, and exactly how dangerous it can be. These aren’t (for the most part) pretty pictures of flames. Instead the pictures do a great job at depicting the dangers and devastation a wildfire can bring. Mark Thiessen did a great job photographing all the fires. He’s … brave … to say the least!

The immediacy of the fires isn’t the only thing that Extreme Wildfire is about. It also tells readers why fires start, what happens afterwards, and how beneficial wildfires can actually be. I had no clue that cleaning up after the fire was out could be so dangerous! Wildfires are one of nature’s recyclers and one of nature’s defenders. I knew that fire could be beneficial for forests, in clearing out undergrowth and such. I did not know that some things only germinated after fires. So, definitely enjoyed discovering that tidbit with my daughter. There’s nothing that they didn’t cover, as far as I know.

Speaking of: When my kiddo laid eyes on the book, she immediately grabbed it and scurried to a corner of the couch. She didn’t give it back until she’d finished over half of it. There might have been bribes involved to get her to read it with me, instead of by herself. It was utterly fascinating to her. She was able to recognize the fire lookout’s responsibilities from watching Fireman Sam. The character Tom watches from a lookout tower and has a helicopter for rescues in case something happens. She particularly enjoyed reading the “Notes From the Field” sections.

We will be making use of the emergency family plan tips that were included in the book.

Overall, Extreme Wildfire was informative, engaging, and well laid out. I’d recommend it for anyone whose got some former Fireman Sam addicts in their brood.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I had an hour to kill before my writing group meeting, and being without the kids, I could indulge in browsing the stacks.

 

I should definitely keep the kids close to me while at the library, as they get bored and whiny by the time I get to three books, so I never go overboard.

 

I seriously went overboard yesterday.

 

New books:

1. AIDS in America by Susan Hunter

         Weird pairing - Alan Cumming wrote the preface, Donald Trump wrote the forward. I think Americans today see AIDS as a chronic condition and not the epidemic it was in the 80s and early 90s. This book discusses just how wrong those assumptions are and the public health crisis brewing again.

 

2. High Stakes: The Rising Cost of America's Gambling Addiction by Sam Skolnik.

          A different take on my new interest in exploring addictions.

 

3. High Tech Trash: Digital Devices, Hidden Toxics, and Human Health by Elizabeth Grossman

           This book called to me from a table top display promoting Earth week. Considering my husband and I are modest gadget people, this is a concern of mine.

 

4. Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez

            A woman with a humanitarian group goes to Afghanistan after the war starts in 2001. This is a memoir of her time there and the stories from the Afghani women she befriended.

 

5. Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America by Eugene Robinson

          I know of Robinson due to his constant presence on Keith Oberman's "Countdown" show back in the early and mid 00s. I really liked to hear Robinson speak and his ideas, even when I disagreed with him.

 

6. Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics, and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism by Kevin Phillips

          I am reading the updated version (2009). It is on the financial meltdown of 2006-2008 and the beginnings of President Obama's tenure. The blurb by Bill Moyers sealed my decision to pick this up.

 

7. Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer

           Finally getting around to reading this! the original.

 

8. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

           Finally getting around to reading this! the sequel.

 

9. Badass: A Hard-Earned Guide to Living Life with Style and (the right) Attitude by Shannen Doherty

             I admit to being a fan of the original Beverly Hills, 90210, although none of the "heart throbs" from that show was a crush of mine. I loved Doherty on that show and the seasons she portrayed Pru on Charmed. So when I came across this book, I had to pick it up.

 

10. Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis

            Because Overdrive is still showing The Big Short as unavailable/checked out, I decided to pick up something else by Lewis. Call it the movie effect, but I want to read all the books by Lewis. This books deals with electronic micro-day trading (aka flash trading) that has had more than a few hiccups that affected the stock markets.

 

11. Caffinated: How Our Daily Habit Helps, Hurts, and Hooks Us by Murray Carpenter

             Finally getting around to reading this! the trilogy.

 

Happy Reading.