benwerd@bookwyrm.social reviewed How to Rule the World by Theo Baker
5 stars
I listened to the audiobook on a drive across country to attend Stanford. I figured I might as well know what I was getting myself into. Hoo boy.
This is the story of how Theo Baker pulled the thread on the story of how Stanford’s then-President put his name to seminal biology papers that turned out to contain fake data and doctored images. It’s also the story of how he uncovered the “Stanford inside Stanford”, full of psychotically driven people who didn’t care about the impact of their actions if they were able to make enough money to shape the world in their image.
It has a lot to say about “fake it ’til you make it” culture, but also the illusory, unfair nature of mainstream success and so-called meritocracy. These things aren’t limited to Stanford, but it just so happens that Stanford is swimming in money.
…
I listened to the audiobook on a drive across country to attend Stanford. I figured I might as well know what I was getting myself into. Hoo boy.
This is the story of how Theo Baker pulled the thread on the story of how Stanford’s then-President put his name to seminal biology papers that turned out to contain fake data and doctored images. It’s also the story of how he uncovered the “Stanford inside Stanford”, full of psychotically driven people who didn’t care about the impact of their actions if they were able to make enough money to shape the world in their image.
It has a lot to say about “fake it ’til you make it” culture, but also the illusory, unfair nature of mainstream success and so-called meritocracy. These things aren’t limited to Stanford, but it just so happens that Stanford is swimming in money.
It does all these things while weaving in Theo’s own story, of a freshman who discovers he doesn’t fit into the world he’s found himself in, despite his best intentions, and whose life is changing fast.
I enjoyed it. And more importantly than that, I feel more prepared.