Fantastic read, really enjoyed it.
Now, most of you will read the above and go "meh" - but the amazing thing about it is that the writer probably qualifies for what I am used to call an "unhinged liberal" while my political leanings are to the right of Mrs Thatcher - so, it's quite an amazing feat that I didn't read the first few pages and (figuratively) burnt it in our fireplace.
Instead, I really enjoyed the way the author managed to articulate and put in very convincing words a sense of unease with the way things are here in Silicon Valley... because, hell, yes, I used to work at Google, I had a four year stint at various VC-funded startups and I'm now at Apple -- most of what Mr Rushkoff says is, indeed, very true.
Now, I'm no historian, and too lazy to do some real research to find out whether what he says about Middle Age Italian commerce (and, yes, I'm from Italy too) is real or a conveniently warped version of it - but definitely the hollowing out of the workers' skills to the benefit of the capital aristocracy is an absolute reality in today's software industry, the most blatant effect the transfer of work from skilled, experienced developers to low-skilled, cheap and disposable outsourced masses - with the attendant "externalities" (in other words: the various Oracle and Microsoft reap the benefits, and you're left holding the candle of insecure, badly written and buggy software in your home PC, vulnerable to all sorts of malware).
It is also clear how the VCs (and, to a large extent, startup founders) are reaping the benefits of "cheap workers" (who accept to be paid in "fantasy money" aka hugely overvalued and, ultimately, worthless stock options) while society is left holding the candle of large number of workers who, after years of very hard work, are left with no jobs or healthcare.
And if the above makes you cringe your nose and want to go vote for Trump, trust me, I'd have been the first to yell "liberal nonsense!" -- and instead, I greatly enjoyed reading the well researched, measured and carefully articulated arguments, and appreciate that, indeed, all is not well in the Enchanted Land of the Unicorns.
Granted, there are parts of the book (especially in the last chapters) that are a bit too "unhinged liberal Kumbala feel-good utopia" - but one can happily skim them, and still find value in the book.
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