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Kara Swisher, a journalist and podcaster, has released a memoir titled “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story” (published by Simon & Schuster), sharing her experiences as a reporter covering the egotistical billionaire culture and risky empires of Silicon Valley.

Read an excerpt below. 

“Tech Crush: The Love Story Behind the Burn Book” – written by Kara Swisher

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I have never been fond of the expression “speak truth to power” as it suggests that all power is negative. It would be more appropriate to say “speak truth to power when the power is deceitful or harmful – or even simply peculiar.”

At a strange gathering, I came across a frozen statue of a woman with a White Russian drink flowing from her breast. This event was a baby shower for Google’s creator, Sergey Brin, and his wife Anne Wojcicki, who were expecting their first child in 2008. The party was held in the industrial district of San Francisco. To access the refreshments, guests had to navigate a maze of baby photos of Sergey and Anne. The club’s entryway was guarded by highly enthusiastic and well-organized women, commonly seen around the wealthy individuals of Silicon Valley.

“Are you interested in a diaper or a onesie?” inquired a young woman with beautifully cascading blond locks and a genuine grin, seemingly oblivious to the unusual nature of her question. However, being in San Francisco, such scenarios were apparently commonplace among its residents. As someone who strives to not pass judgment, I couldn’t help but still internally form an opinion.

I want to clarify that I was being harsh in my assessments.

However, this situation was not just about personal sexual preferences. The young woman was inquiring about my choice of baby-themed clothing as part of the “entertainment” for the evening. Guests were given the option to wear either an oversized diaper with a comical pin, a ruffled baby hat with a rattle, or adult footed pajamas adorned with a teddy bear and a sucker. I declined all options, causing the woman’s hair to stop swinging and her smile to turn into a frown. She insisted that everyone had to wear one, claiming that everyone else was already wearing one.

Not me! I ran into the party before she could lay a talcum-powdered hand on me and found some of the most powerful people in tech and media— all decked out as newborns. Brin wore a onesie as he roller-skated around the room. Wendi Deng, then the wife of News Corp titan Rupert Murdoch (whom I had taken to referring to as “Uncle Satan”), had chosen a diaper and sucker combo. Deng quickly asked me how she looked, which was disturbing since she was wearing some kind of leather pants and stiletto boots under the giant Pampers, and that was a freaky disconnect I preferred not to be experiencing at that moment (or, frankly, ever). Thankfully, Uncle Satan was not in attendance, so

I unfortunately did not have the opportunity to witness that specific sight. Fortunately, Mayor Gavin Newsom, who had formed a bond with the Google founders, was seen in a traditional suit standing in a corner.

This is an excerpt from the book “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story” written by Kara Swisher and published by Simon & Schuster in 2024. It is used with permission under copyright law.

Obtain the book at this link.

“Burn Book: A Tech Love Story” by Kara Swisher

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Source: cbsnews.com