Books Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism Book by Sarah Wynn-Williams

"Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism" by Sarah Wynn-Williams is a memoir recounting her seven-year tenure at Facebook (now Meta), where she rose to become the director of global public policy. The book provides a candid, critical insider perspective on the company's internal culture, decision-making, and leadership dynamics during a period marked by rapid growth and increasing global scrutiny.

Wynn-Williams portrays Facebook's leadership, especially Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, as driven more by ambition and self-interest than accountability. She details troubling episodes such as the company's complicity in misinformation, censorship aligned with authoritarian regimes like China, and its role in crises such as the Rohingya genocide. The memoir also exposes workplace misconduct, including sexual harassment by executives like Sandberg and Joel Kaplan.

The title alludes to F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," painting Facebook's leaders as "careless people" who create turmoil and leave others to deal with the fallout. Wynn-Williams shares her personal struggles with workplace discrimination, medical negligence during maternity leave, and being caught in ethical conflicts without power to intervene due to financial and legal constraints.

The memoir is both a revealing account of Silicon Valley's dark underbelly and a sobering reflection on the erosion of Wynn-Williams' own idealism amid corporate greed and power plays. It reached bestseller status and sparked significant public and political attention, including Wynn-Williams testifying before the US Senate about Facebook's actions.