Bastards of DOGE feat. Quinn Slobodian

In 'Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and the World,' Malcolm Harris provides a detailed and critical history of Silicon Valley. The book spans 150 years, from the era of railroad barons to the modern tech industry, and explores how Northern California evolved into a powerful engine for economic growth and global influence. Harris examines the ideologies, technologies, and policies that have shaped the region, including the impact of settler colonialism, racialized labor, and the conversion of public resources into private assets. The book also delves into the lives of key figures such as Leland Stanford, Herbert Hoover, and Peter Thiel, and offers a radical proposition for how society might change course in the face of the current economic and technological landscape.

Written in 1958, 'The Rise of the Meritocracy' is a satirical work that projects a future society in 2034 where the concept of meritocracy has led to a rigidly stratified society. The book argues that the formula 'IQ + effort = merit' has become the basis for social hierarchy, resulting in a significant gulf between the highly intelligent upper classes and the less intelligent lower classes. Young critiques the idea of meritocracy, highlighting its potential to create a society where the upper classes lack empathy for the lower classes and where social mobility is severely limited. The work is notable for its insightful and often humorous critique of the potential consequences of a meritocratic system.