Uberland: How Algorithms Are Rewriting the Rules of Work First Edition

by Alex Rosenblat (Author)

35 ratings

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A timely, accessible analysis of a Silicon Valley innovator that disrupted an industry.” ― GeekWire

“This jargon-free and intriguing exposé offers food for thought for anyone interested in worker protections or societal changes driven by technology.” ― Publishers Weekly

"Functions as an examination of both how Uber’s algorithms are changing the way companies operate and exert control over their workers and how those workers are experiencing these changes.” ― Slate

"A timely look at the tensions between technology and the future of employment, and how ambitious startups might be changing the way we see and value work.” ― Mother Jones Published On: 2018-11-03

“If you care about the future of work, read Uberland by Alex Rosenblat.” -- Theodore Kinni, Strategy + Business

“Rosenblat’s book is a combination of sociological analysis, excerpts from Uber-driver online forums, communications with Uber executives and employees, and an avalanche of in-person interviews with drivers from all over the United States and Canada. Her analysis isn’t a polemic; it is balanced and measured.” ― Los Angeles Review of Books Published On: 2019-01-14

“A fine work of technology ethnography. . . As someone who believes that technology is a positive force for driving change, I’ll admit to being deeply disturbed by reading Uberland." ― Inside Higher Education Published On: 2018-12-12

"The most important recent book written about Uber is undoubtedly Alex Rosenblat’s Uberland: How Algorithms Are Rewriting the Rules of Work, which unflinchingly exposes how Uber takes ruthless advantage of its drivers.” ― Medium/The Startup

"Uberland will be of interest for anyone who cares about the future of work, the realities of working in the ‘gig’ economy and the consequences of decoupling work from existing employment relations systems." ― Journal of Industrial Relations

"The book paints a complicated picture of the uneven realities of the gig economy set against the glossy sales pitch of Uber as the future of work." ― Allegra Lab

"Uberland is a timely book as technology increasingly intensifies in our daily lives. It reads like book-length investigative journalism, refreshingly jargon-free. It stays truthful to the stories that drivers tell and is readable and engaging. It is suitable for undergraduate classes in sociology of work; science, technology, and society; and consumption." ― Sociological Forum

From the Inside Flap

“Alex Rosenblat explores the increasingly unstable and unpredictable nature of work in America through an in-depth look at Uber’s questionable labor and technology practices. We had not fully witnessed the downside of management by algorithm until this book—a must-read for anyone interested in the topic.”—Chris Hughes, cofounder of Facebook, cochair of the Economic Security Project, and author of Fair Shot: Rethinking Inequality and How We Earn

“Read Uberland to see how Rosenblat reverse engineers Uber to expose its machinations to become our gig overlord. There is no better analysis anywhere.”—Lawrence Mishel, Distinguished Fellow, Economic Policy Institute

“Ever wonder what life is like for an Uber driver and where rideshare fits into today’s economy? Rosenblat’s compelling narrative takes us deeper than any book before it, so you’re in for a treat. You won’t be able to put Uberland down.”—H. Luke Shaefer, coauthorof $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America

“Uber represents everything that has gone terribly wrong with Silicon Valley ideology. It treats people as sources of data rather than as customers, workers, or human beings. It flaunts laws and regulations, not even asking for forgiveness once it gets caught. It promotes a toxic corporate environment. Most of all, Uber upends many of our assumptions about transportation, labor, and the future of the economy. Rosenblat has succeeded in writing a clear, powerful book that goes far deeper than the headlines. By focusing on drivers, she reveals the complexities of their daily lives and challenges. She accounts for all the ways Uber both improves their lives and limits their prospects. This book is essential for anyone who hopes to understand platforms, applications, and the effects they have on real people.”—Siva Vaidhyanathan, author of The Googlization of Everything (And Why We Should Worry) and Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy

“Deft, multifaceted, and eminently accessible and readable.”—Michael Palm, author of Technologies of Consumer Labor: A History of Self-Service

From the Back Cover

“Alex Rosenblat explores the increasingly unstable and unpredictable nature of work in America through an in-depth look at Uber’s questionable labor and technology practices. We had not fully witnessed the downside of management by algorithm until this book—a must-read for anyone interested in the topic.”—Chris Hughes, cofounder of Facebook, cochair of the Economic Security Project, and author of Fair Shot: Rethinking Inequality and How We Earn

“Read Uberland to see how Rosenblat reverse engineers Uber to expose its machinations to become our gig overlord. There is no better analysis anywhere.”—Lawrence Mishel, Distinguished Fellow, Economic Policy Institute

“Ever wonder what life is like for an Uber driver and where rideshare fits into today’s economy? Rosenblat’s compelling narrative takes us deeper than any book before it, so you’re in for a treat. You won’t be able to put Uberland down.”—H. Luke Shaefer, coauthorof $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America

“Uber represents everything that has gone terribly wrong with Silicon Valley ideology. It treats people as sources of data rather than as customers, workers, or human beings. It flaunts laws and regulations, not even asking for forgiveness once it gets caught. It promotes a toxic corporate environment. Most of all, Uber upends many of our assumptions about transportation, labor, and the future of the economy. Rosenblat has succeeded in writing a clear, powerful book that goes far deeper than the headlines. By focusing on drivers, she reveals the complexities of their daily lives and challenges. She accounts for all the ways Uber both improves their lives and limits their prospects. This book is essential for anyone who hopes to understand platforms, applications, and the effects they have on real people.”—Siva Vaidhyanathan, author of The Googlization of Everything (And Why We Should Worry) and Antisocial Media: How Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy

“Deft, multifaceted, and eminently accessible and readable.”—Michael Palm, author of Technologies of Consumer Labor: A History of Self-Service

About the Author

Alex Rosenblat is a technology ethnographer. A researcher at the Data & Society Research Institute, she holds an MA in sociology from Queen’s University and a BA in history from McGill University. Rosenblat’s writing has appeared in media outlets such as the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, the Atlantic, Slate, and Fast Company. Her research has received attention worldwide and has been covered in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, MIT Technology Review, WIRED, New Scientist, and the Guardian. Many scholarly and professional publications have also published her prizewinning work, including the International Journal of Communication and the Columbia Law Review.

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Product information

Technical Details

Publisher

‎University of California Press; First edition (October 23, 2018)

Language

‎English

Hardcover

‎296 pages

ISBN-10

‎0520298578

ISBN-13

‎978-0520298576

Item Weight

‎1.2 pounds

Dimensions

‎6 x 1 x 9 inches

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Alex Rosenblat

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Alex Rosenblat is a technology ethnographer and the author of Uberland: How Algorithms Are Rewriting the Rules of Work, forthcoming with the University of California Press in October 2018. A researcher at the Data & Society Research Institute, she holds a master’s degree in sociology from Queen’s University and a bachelor of arts degree in history from McGill University. Alex’s writing has appeared in media outlets such as the New York Times, the Harvard Business Review, The Atlantic, Slate, and Fast Company. Her research has received attention worldwide, and has been covered in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, MIT Technology Review, WIRED, New Scientist, and the Guardian. Among the scholarly and professional publications in which her prize-winning work has been published are the International Journal of Communication and the Columbia Law Review.

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kehinde Lawal

Eh

Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2020

Verified Purchase

This book was interesting. The chapters blended together a little and I’m not sure if some points or examples that were used were necessary. A lot of repeating and very wordy and verbose. I read this book for a information and security course on privacy. It did open my eyes to harmful practices that companies that Uber as well as lyft and Facebook can be engaged it. I definitely saw Uber differently after this book and am disappointed to learn they are a dog eat dog company. Very selfish and manipulative. It is shocking to see that they can get away with this algorithm management bs. Hopefully laws can come about that better protect this type of employment.

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Sue G.

I couldn't put it down - a mesmerizing look at what it's really like to work for Uber

Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2018

Verified Purchase

This book is a marvelous inside look at what it's like to drive for Uber, and by extension, any Silicon Valley gig economy platform. The author claims she tells her children Uber stories at bedtime - and I believe her. She weaves many a tale about the rides she took in years of research (over 5,000 miles in the U.S. and Canada). The author illuminates a myriad of problems associated with having an algorithm as your boss, where there is rarely a real human to help you resolve issues. Although Uber touts the independence of their drivers, the author demonstrates that independence is mostly an illusion and manipulation abounds. I was expecting a typical academic tome, and what I got instead was a really terrific read. I highly recommend Uberland.

6 people found this helpful

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Julia T.

Uber. Explained.

Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2018

Verified Purchase

Uber is slippery and abstract, the company and its services are (in many places) ubiquitous but also hard to understand as they change policies, leadership, and scandals erupt. This book not only makes Uber concrete through the experiences of its drivers, but also explains the slippery-ness in a way that sends readers away with a more fulsome understanding of not only the company, but also the consequences of companies beyond Uber using technology to “rewrite the rules of work”. Rosenblat goes beyond description to explain the experiences of drivers with her deep knowledge of Uber’s technology and business incentives. Her expertise in this area is unmatched by more casual observers, a must-read for those grappling with technology, work, and inequality.

4 people found this helpful

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araceli Aguayo

It is interesting to learn how Uber operates based in a program of algorithmos

Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2020

Verified Purchase

Alex Rosenblant explores how Uber operates, and also how technoly partices are shaping the new economy. Rosenblant takes the reader deeper into Ubers'labor by sharing some drivers' own experinces across the United States including Canada. The author expalins how the new economy is shaping people's lives by offering them a flexible job , where drivers do not have a physical boss, but they still being controled by a platform of algorithms. The author shows us both sides of this job the advantages and disadvantges of beind an Uber's driver.

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JLA

The book safely arrived as described.

Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2021

Verified Purchase

Thanks.

Helpful

Kevin

Interesting Subject Matter, Poorly Written

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2019

The subject matter of this book is very interesting, but it's difficult to get past the writing (and editing, or lack thereof). The same concepts are repeated ad nauseum, making it seem like there wasn't enough content to fill out an entire book. I don't know exactly how many times I read that Uber casts itself as a technology company and not a transportation company, but it was at least a dozen. Other concepts were repeated just as often, seemingly with no acknowledgement that the reader has already been told about them many times before. With the amount of original content actually presented, it seems like the best format would be a long form story for a magazine rather than a book. I also found some of the analogies that the author put forward to translate Uber's practices into other contexts to be pretty inapt, but that's more of a personal preference I suppose.

3 people found this helpful

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danah boyd

Full of fantastic insights into how Uber is changing work

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2018

Taken at face value, the shiny veneer of the gig economy are simply apps that allow people to seek services from other people. Yet, as Uberland demonstrates, the brokers of those exchanges are not agnostic actors developing neutral platforms that connect people. Rather, companies like Uber have built algorithmically-rooted technologies that govern how people can connect. Through explicit managerial processes and implicit nudges, Uber shapes a distributed workforce based on its own values with little accountability for its actions. This book shines a light on these dynamics, highlighting the logics of ridehail companies (most notably Uber), the experiences of drivers, and the tensions that emerge as competing interests collide.

Alex Rosenblat has spent years talking to a wide-range of drivers, Uber employees, and other stakeholders to understand their values, logics, and work-arounds. Through eloquent prose and thick description, she elevates the voices of those she talks with so that the reader can see the challenges presented by algorithmic management. She offers a compelling framework for understanding what's unfolding and helps the reader get past their naive assumptions of how drivers experience Uber. This work is critical, in no small part because every person who has ever taken an Uber feels as though they understand drivers. Rosenblat helps the reader see the wide range of incentives and logics and how they contradict in important ways.

This book is an essential read for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and all who have a vested interest in understanding how technology is reconfiguring society. It's also a fun read for anyone who may simply want to see what lies below the shiny veneer.

5 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Dan MacLeod

An excellent read. I couldn't put it down.

Reviewed in Canada on November 5, 2018

Verified Purchase

Managed by a faceless boss - Rosenblat gives us the frameworks to understand the impact of tech on society. The interviews and perspectives outlined in the book show the challenges of working in the sharing economy. Accountability to an algorithm, loss of control in deciding when and where you work, and being able to be terminated at any point with little recourse.

An excellent and important book for anyone interested in the future of work, the gig economy, and how people move.

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Uberland: How Algorithms Are Rewriting the Rules of Work First Edition

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About the Author

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About the author

Alex Rosenblat

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