Kindle
$11.99
Available instantly
Buy new:
-45% $15.46
Delivery Wednesday, July 24
Ships from: Amazon.com
Sold by: Amazon.com
$15.46 with 45 percent savings
List Price: $28.00

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
FREE International Returns
No Import Fees Deposit & $11.26 Shipping to Austria Details

Shipping & Fee Details

Price $15.46
AmazonGlobal Shipping $11.26
Estimated Import Fees Deposit $0.00
Total $26.72

Delivery Wednesday, July 24
Or fastest delivery Monday, July 15. Order within 20 hrs 20 mins
In Stock
$$15.46 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.46
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon.com
Ships from
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Sold by
Amazon.com
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$8.92
FREE International Returns
Delivery Thursday, July 25
Or fastest delivery Monday, July 15. Order within 11 hrs 50 mins
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$15.46 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$15.46
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America's Social Justice Scam Hardcover – August 17, 2021

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 3,981 ratings

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$15.46","priceAmount":15.46,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"15","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"46","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"jDbDPzdsNo4h2L7DXvuCj%2BBoHfcfU6yea1B73g3gQsi19CkVIhb4zAmz53rWMR%2BXGjQtuCimFVZ4c%2BzG8YHyd63%2FC2IXE%2BcHX5fUWUzRvojx91kDrhyOlML65BqPuuOZQ%2Bsmb%2B5i%2BM6bLbeC8ZC3iQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$8.92","priceAmount":8.92,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"8","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"92","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"jDbDPzdsNo4h2L7DXvuCj%2BBoHfcfU6ye1UW6jSDbfgnma6jxXEtmrAZCFmczfzg4u3%2FU5SMcwcE9SQEj4%2BI5NQU2qI5JQwvS8ral08M8SD4q8hjgFw5inySNpQqE11QHMda%2F3WryVTXyv6q7zi8rA%2B%2BlMlhSmufU49%2FAc7i%2Bxs45JlzPLOJoozhchsQZpRsK","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

In this New York Times bestseller, a young and successful entrepreneur makes the case that politics has no place in business, and sets out a new vision for the future of American capitalism.

There’s a new invisible force at work in our economic and cultural lives. It affects every advertisement we see and every product we buy, from our morning coffee to a new pair of shoes.  “Stakeholder capitalism” makes rosy promises of a better, more diverse, environmentally-friendly world, but in reality this ideology championed by America’s business and political leaders robs us of our money, our voice, and our identity.
 
Vivek Ramaswamy is a traitor to his class. He’s founded multibillion-dollar enterprises, led a biotech company as CEO, he became a hedge fund partner in his 20s, trained as a scientist at Harvard and a lawyer at Yale, and grew up the child of immigrants in a small town in Ohio. Now he takes us behind the scenes into corporate boardrooms and five-star conferences, into Ivy League classrooms and secretive nonprofits, to reveal the defining scam of our century.
 
The modern woke-industrial complex divides us as a people.  By mixing morality with consumerism, America’s elites prey on our innermost insecurities about who we really are. They sell us cheap social causes and skin-deep identities to satisfy our hunger for a cause and our search for meaning, at a moment when we as Americans lack both.
 
This book not only rips back the curtain on the new corporatist agenda, it offers a better way forward. America’s elites may want to sort us into demographic boxes, but we don’t have to stay there.
Woke, Inc. begins as a critique of stakeholder capitalism and ends with an exploration of what it means to be an American today—a journey that begins with cynicism and ends with hope.   

Frequently bought together

$15.46
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
$12.98
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jul 24
In Stock
Sold by Bridge_Media and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
$15.25
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Jul 24
In Stock
Sold by GrandioseGoods and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Control
These items are shipped from and sold by different sellers.
Choose items to buy together.

Get to know this book

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A provocative critique, wrapped in a gripping personal story that pulls you in from page one. Vivek Ramaswamy is breakthrough brilliant and arrestingly original. Woke, Inc. is essential reading for anyone who cares about America’s democracy, economy, and future.”―Amy Chua, Yale Law professor and author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and Political Tribes: Group Instinct and the Fate of Nations

“Vivek Ramaswamy provides the single most informative and insightful analysis yet of woke ideology…
Woke, Inc. is indispensable for understanding how America's newest and most consequential cultural dogma is fundamentally transforming virtually every sector of our lives.”―Glenn Greenwald, journalist, constitutional lawyer, and author of four New York Times bestselling books

In
Woke, Inc., Vivek speaks the truth without fear: woke identity politics is dividing and weakening America at every level. He urges us to lift up all Americans, rather than to pit ourselves against each other. His combination of honesty, intellect, and foresight are exactly what we need to overcome our challenges in the years ahead. ―Ambassador Nikki Haley

“A provocative, compelling, and highly readable look at the uneasy relationship between business and politics. I may not agree with all of Vivek’s answers, but every thinking American needs to come to grips with the questions he poses.”―
N. Gregory Mankiw, professor, Department of Economics at Harvard University

"In a world where many fear to say what they think, Vivek courageously attacks the hypocrisy of corporations and their managements...his speaking truth to power will elevate this important discussion and advance our understanding of the heretofore not-to-be-discussed risks of stakeholder capitalism. I strongly recommend you give this book a careful read."―
Bill Ackman, Founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management

“Many CEOs bend the knee to the woke because they benefit from it, but Vivek Ramaswamy shows us what true courage requires. Scathing yet inspiring, Woke, Inc. is an important book for our time.”―
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Research Fellow, Hoover Institution and Founder, AHA Foundation

"In this engaging, brilliant book, Vivek Ramaswamy hits the nail on the head: companies go woke because they get richer from division rather than unity. This book is an essential weapon in the battle to reclaim America's soul."―
JD Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy and venture capitalist

“Vivek Ramaswamy…offers a path back toward a more free and prosperous society.”―
Arthur C. Brooks, professor, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, and New York Times bestselling author

About the Author

Vivek Ramaswamy is a New York Times bestselling author and entrepreneur who has founded multiple successful enterprises. A first-generation American, he is the founder and Executive Chairman of Roivant Sciences, a new type of biopharmaceutical company focused on the application of technology to drug development.  He founded Roivant in 2014 and led the largest biotech IPOs of 2015 and 2016, eventually culminating in successful clinical trials in multiple disease areas that led to FDA-approved products. 

Mr. Ramaswamy was born and raised in southwest Ohio. He graduated summa cum laude in biology from Harvard in 2007 and began his career as a biotech investor at a prominent hedge fund. Mr. Ramaswamy continued to work as an investor while earning his law degree at Yale, where he was a recipient of the Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans.

Mr. Ramaswamy was featured on the cover of Forbes magazine in 2015 for his work in drug development. In 2020 he emerged as a prominent national commentator on stakeholder capitalism, free speech, and woke culture. He has authored numerous articles and op-eds, which have appeared in the Wall Street JournalNational Review, Newsweek, and Harvard Business Review.  

Mr. Ramaswamy serves on the board of directors of the Philanthropy Roundtable and the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Center Street (August 17, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1546090789
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1546090786
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.4 x 1.4 x 9.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 3,981 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Vivek Ramaswamy
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
3,981 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the writing style well-written, impressive, and funny at times. They also find the characters relatable, strong, and informative. Readers describe the book as very informative, bold, and attainable. They say the message is sincere and the arguments are well substantiated.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

75 customers mention "Insightfulness"75 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very informative, well written, and eye-opening. They also appreciate the concept of diversity of thought, and the author's astute and solid observations. Readers describe the book as thought-provoking, bold, and attainable.

"...informed on topics like politics, and I found this book to be very eye-opening, relatable, and informative...." Read more

"My favorite thing was his concept of diversity of thought, as opposed to emphasis on race, etc. He and I share a vision for America." Read more

"...Vivek is a brilliant writer and shares his perspective which is not only novel, but very insightful and perceptive...." Read more

"...He shares so many interesting insights (based on his personal experiences) on Wall Street, Silicon Valley, Big Pharma, the FDA, politics, Harvard &..." Read more

45 customers mention "Writing style"41 positive4 negative

Customers find the writing style well-written, well-explained, and well structured. They also say the book provides an easy to understand and follow history of the rise of woke culture and its influence. Readers also describe the author as impressive, witty, and funny at times.

"...I agreed with everything that was said in the book- it was laid out in a clear, concise manner, and had tons of sources provided...." Read more

"...Vivek is a brilliant writer and shares his perspective which is not only novel, but very insightful and perceptive...." Read more

"...Vivek is witty, funny at times and clearly a top shelf individual. Very interesting read." Read more

"...strong argument, solid exposition, but still vague proposals." Read more

8 customers mention "Characters"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the characters relatable, convincing, and riveting. They also say the passion and zeal of the author is excellent.

"...topics like politics, and I found this book to be very eye-opening, relatable, and informative...." Read more

"...Vivek is a brilliant writer and shares his perspective which is not only novel, but very insightful and perceptive...." Read more

"...strong argument, solid exposition, but still vague proposals." Read more

"Haven’t finished yet, but this book is very inciteful and a good read." Read more

4 customers mention "Relevance"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and timely.

"A great and timely exposure to "wokeism's" war on capitalism by a brilliant mind well prepared and capable to explain it...." Read more

"...Very timely to read the book during the current environment." Read more

"Rec'd as advertised in great condition. Delivery was expeditious! TU Elam's Books!" Read more

"Informative & timely..." Read more

Really Good Book!!!
4 Stars
Really Good Book!!!
This is a great book to read. Very informative and entertaining. I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024
I have been trying to read more books to stay informed on topics like politics, and I found this book to be very eye-opening, relatable, and informative. I agreed with everything that was said in the book- it was laid out in a clear, concise manner, and had tons of sources provided. I have been saying this for some time now, but working in corporate America is starting to become miserable- especially if you work for a company that's gone woke. Which, at this point, I think a good portion of them have, so its becoming increasingly difficult to want to work for companies that cant keep politics at the door or dont involve the insanity of the racist hiring practices...oops I mean DEI! So tired of all the virtue signaling.

Politics should definitely stay OUT of the work place, and this book definitely proves that.
3 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2024
My favorite thing was his concept of diversity of thought, as opposed to emphasis on race, etc. He and I share a vision for America.
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2023
I could not sit this book down and have now read it twice to make sure I did not miss anything. Vivek is a brilliant writer and shares his perspective which is not only novel, but very insightful and perceptive. Before retirement I owned a Juvenile Treatment Facility that had one of the highest successful treatment outcomes in the State of Colorado. When Vivek expanded on his Youth Core for America idea, I was blown away as that parallels one of our successful treatment modes. We set up our facility in a small Rural Mountain Town and wrote a Grant for Work Experience where the residents would do supervised work in the community and actually get paid, and then have to track their financial statement carefully. Most residents came from the inner city where they were able to maintain a sense of isolation and non-interaction with the community, but when they were in treatment at our facility with a work program, we did things like care for the lawns, provide maintenance for older people in the community. Not only did they gets lots of rewarding responses from the residents, but they started to take a real pride in our little community and they would get angry if someone threw trash or disrespected their work and community identity. We had residents returning years later to the community to check up on projects they were involved in due to that pride. So Vivek's brilliant idea of Community Action will pay off in Aces in terms of helping High School Age children come to love this country which has given so many opportunities to so many people. We think that a big part of the reason we had a 94.7% non-repeat offender rate (which was unheard of) was due to the community involvement. Yea, Vivek Ramswamey.
32 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2022
Although I bought this book shortly after it was released it was not a high priority for me to read and it sat on my shelf for many months. My original feeling was that it was likely to be just another book trying to cash in on the anti-woke backlash. I now wish I had read it earlier since it is definitely first rate.

Vivek Ramaswamy's greatest strength when analyzing the growing influence of wokeism, including ESG, on corporate America is his ability to distill what is going on down to the most fundamental assumptions and discuss those assumptions directly. Ramaswamy has a background in biology and he has been a founder and CEO of the pharmaceutical company Roivant. He also has a JD from Yale Law. The combined backgrounds in business and law make him particularly adept at providing legal arguments against rising wokeism in corporate America.

Early on Ramaswamy recounts his experience growing up in America but making periodic visits to the village his father grew up in back in India. From these visits Ramaswamy witnessed first hand how quickly capitalism brought some parts of India out of poverty. He credits capitalism with essentially destroying the caste system and takes this as an example of how capitalism has the power to transform much more about society than its wealth. Not all of this transformation is destined to be good, however. For example, Ramaswamy describes how capitalism led Indian families to live and grow apart and to more consideration about who owed what money to whom within a family. In general, Ramaswamy's recounting of personal experiences throughout the book make it clear how he ties anti-woke theory to his personal experiences.

Ramaswamy's central thesis is that businesses should just aim to maximize profit rather than look for a tradeoff between that and also working toward social good. Ramaswamy thinks it is up to the democratic process to decide social good not c-suite executives or Black Rock retirement fund managers. Ramaswamy writes that LLCs are given a tremendous legal advantages in society in which owners are shielded from liabilities resulting from a corporation's actions. Think of the Sackler family. Ramaswamy argues that since this does not apply to regular members of society, without anything acting to check to this power corporations would risk having too much power in society beyond their business areas. Ramaswamy argues that this was recognized when LLCs were first conceived and back then there was the understanding that the way to check this danger was that corporations would just focus on maximizing profit in their limited line of business. Ramaswamy describes how corporate charters were at first narrow but have generally now expanded to include any legal business activity. Ramaswamy also describes, in detail, how corporations are now gaining undo societal influence by moving focus away from profit maximization.

Key to Ramaswamy's notion of undo corporate influence is his notion of a "managerial class" which is becoming increasingly powerful. Ramaswamy argues that these c-suite managers generally have less ownership in the companies they work for than its founders and shareholders and, as such, their interests are misaligned. Rather than having their primary interest in maximizing profit their interest is in maximizing their reputation and, hence, power in society and their long terms careers. Ramaswamy discusses how people in this class will typical move fluidly between corporate management, public service, including the military, non-profits, and government. Ramaswamy argues that wokeism has provided corporate managers with unique opportunities to make it unclear exactly what their goals are: If it is not to maximize profit they can say that the interests of some stakeholder in society is more important. Since there are multiple stakeholders it is generally unclear which stakeholder's interest is of greatest interest and the managerial class can use the ambiguity to do what they want and which is best for their long term careers.

Ramaswamy argues that "stakeholder capitalism" gives corporate leaders a tool to do something they were previously much more limited in. Once you are Mark Zuckerberg you have, practically, infinite money but that money, or even getting more of it, will not win you reputation and, hence, power outside of your company. Wokeism, however, allows you to become a champion of social justice to enhance your reputation and gain that power.

Ramaswamy also argues that wokeism allows governments to get corporations to do what they would like to do but which legal restraints prevent them from being able to do. For example, censoring conservatives on social media sites. Because of the incestuous relations between non-profits, government, and corporate elites, wokeism gives cover to "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" situations. A particularly maddening example Ramaswamy's cites is how corporations were fined billions of dollars arising from the global financial crisis but were able to donate to Democrat approved charities, have a multiplier greater than one applied to those payments, and gain reputation and tax deductions along the way. Sometimes the charities agreed to were even the prosecutors' and judges' own alma maters!

The strongest parts of the book are Ramaswamy's arguments that wokeism can be fought through existing laws. One example is using legal rulings that corporations must put maximization of profits ahead of other concerns. Ramaswamy also argues that social media companies have a duty to protect free speech to extent that it protected by the first amendment and they cannot argue that they can be more restrictive due to the fact that they are private companies. Ramaswamy bases this on legal rulings that governments cannot use private companies to get around constitutional restrictions including through the threat of legal/regulatory action. For folks who hate corporate DEI seminars there is good news: Ramaswamy also argues that wokeism meets the legal definition of a religion and, hence, businesses cannot force their employer to attend these seminars.

If you take "the best of" this book it is definitely 5/5 stars. There were, however, some problems. For example, I found that some examples that Ramaswamy used were not good. For example, Ramaswamy repeatedly invokes the notion that Goldman Sachs was "bailed out" during the global financial crisis. During Senate testimony, however, Goldman Sachs said that they did not feel they needed a loan but were forced to take one anyway. (During the Great Depression loans were not required of all banks. Investors and short sellers then took this as a list of which banks were the vulnerable ones. During the global financial crisis Hank Paulson wanted to avoid this.) Indeed, Goldman argued that their riskiest bets were insured and, in some cases, even double insured should one of insurers itself go bust. Another poorly chosen example was when Robinhood restricted buying of Gamestop stock but continued to allow selling. Ramaswamy scoffs at Robinhood's claim that it had no choice due to margin requirement laws: if there really was a problem why not halt all trading? But what would have happened if Robinhood had also halted selling as the stock plunged? Would there not be complaints that stock holders could not get out? To believe that Robinhood's actions were the main cause of the drop seems to give its customers more market power than they have. More likely is that buying in, at that, point would have got even more late comers burnt. It is also clear that allowing selling but not buying would alleviate margin problems while a general halt to trading would not.

Another problem with the book is that Ramaswamy, although <i>generally</i> presenting the woke position fairly, does not <i>always</i> provide the best counter arguments to his views. For example, he believes that employers should not be able to discriminate based on political beliefs. A good example arguing for allowing such discrimination would be to ask if employers should be allowed to refuse to hire out in the open KKK members?

A final problem with the book is that the potentially negative implications of corporations focusing only on profits are not explored. Would this mean greater government involvement in regulating the free market if corporations did not self-regulate? What negative consequences would that have? Or does he think that the free market will tend to find good solutions when left to itself and just maximizing profit? It is unclear where Ramaswamy stands on this question.

After reading this book it is clear to me that Ramaswamy is going to be one of the key players fighting wokeism going forward. Indeed, he recently opened up an anti-woke ETF now actively trading. I am looking forward to his future books and keeping up with his future battles against wokeism.
149 people found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2024
This is the first book I purchased by Vivek Ramaswamy and I really enjoyed it... So much so that I bought his other 2 books as well. Vivek is witty, funny at times and clearly a top shelf individual. Very interesting read.
One person found this helpful
Report
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2024
Vivek ramaswamy would make a great president. Please read this book it really does explain everything going on in corporate America
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2024
Wow, this is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. I learned a TON about so many things and have a much better perspective on what it truly means to be an American and why what’s happening in politics is so bad. He shares so many interesting insights (based on his personal experiences) on Wall Street, Silicon Valley, Big Pharma, the FDA, politics, Harvard & Yale and so much more. Vivek is an insanely inspirational human and clearly a fantastic writer as well. I’m kind of sad that I finished the book because I enjoyed it that much!!!
13 people found this helpful
Report

Top reviews from other countries

Rufus
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading
Reviewed in Canada on June 9, 2024
This book should be standard reading for anyone interested in the complex interplay between government and corporate America. Ramaswamy pulls back the curtain on a lot of clandestine framework that allows corporations to influence contemporary politics and culture. Will be looking forward to more of his work.
MARIO
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic and very important reading!
Reviewed in Brazil on June 27, 2023
Great book! I hope many people read this important book.
CGF
5.0 out of 5 stars The importance of intellectual brilliance …
Reviewed in Germany on February 5, 2024
… no matter which side of the Woke fence you are sitting this book challenges the reader to try and make sense of how society is shaping around us. Not only that … it clearly outlines the different appearances in which diversity can come along in our lives and slices through its pros and cons with an intellectual brilliance that is rarely found in today’s publications on the topic … and the added bonus: there are some very smart ideas or at least suggestions for discussion which might help to reinstate the only things which stands a chance to save this planet, i.e. diversity of thought … all-in-all: a must read …
Order much bigger size. Xl was tiny.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great info
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2023
A refreshing, enlightening read
Warren Noronha
5.0 out of 5 stars WOKE INC.
Reviewed in India on November 13, 2023
EXCELLENT BOOK....ALL SO TRUE.

5 STARS TO VIVEK R