How to Rule the World

I am a sucker for books that illuminate cultures born of hubris, stories that make you say, ‘I had no idea this world existed.’ Theo Baker achieves this for several such worlds at the same time: Silicon Valley, ‘Nerd Nation’ (as Stanford calls itself), oligarchy, and precocious youth generally. Poignant, maddening, and genuinely hilarious, How to Rule the World is to be devoured—and fast, before Stanford buys up and sets fire to every copy. (Talk about a burn book!) -- Mark Leibovich, #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>This Town</i> How to Rule the World is the story of a young reporter unafraid to challenge Silicon Valley’s billionaires and the powerful institutions that enable them—including his own university. Dogged, fearless, unflinching—Baker proves journalism’s future is alive and fighting. Both a gripping personal journey and a searing indictment of our entanglement with tech wealth and influence, this book shows how real reporting can still unsettle, expose, and hold the powerful to account -- Emily Chang, national bestselling author and Emmy Award–winning journalist at Bloomberg Originals I first loved How to Rule The World because it manages to tell you everything you need to know about America in this particular moment by focusing so closely on the cloistered yet unimaginably powerful world of Stanford. And then I met Theo, a young man so brilliant and erudite that I walked away from our first meeting with a full reading list. His vulnerability and brilliance leap off the page in equal measure -- Amy Pascal, former chairwoman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, founder of Pascal Pictures, and producer of the <i>Spider-Man</i> films, <i>James Bond, The Post, Little Women, and The Social Network</i> Theo Baker has written a page-turning drama about what happens when the search for scientific truth has to compete with personal and institutional power. His remarkable reporting has permanently changed the way we discuss research misconduct. Yet How to Rule the World is so much more. It’s a vital story about how higher education has lost sight of the students and ideals it was created to serve -- Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of <i>Science</i> and former chancellor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill In How to Rule the World, the wunderkind Theo Baker combines the remarkable story of his astounding reporting as a Stanford freshman that led to the downfall of the university’s president with his wry, insightful observations about Stanford’s unique form of Silicon Valley arrogance. Both strands are rendered in spare and propulsive prose, making it a nearly unfathomable accomplishment from someone so young -- William Cohan, bestselling author of <i>House of Cards</i> How to Rule the World is a fascinating safari through modern academia, based on meticulous, damning reporting. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the culture of money and ambition that has taken hold at one of America’s most storied institutions -- Jake Tapper, #1 <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author and Emmy Award–winning anchor at CNN Stanford is one of America’s most influential and fascinating institutions, and the gulf between those qualities and the attention it receives is vast. The world badly needs an inside account of this mysterious corner of the country from which so much wealth has oozed, and Theo Baker is the perfect author to deliver it -- Jonathan Chait, staff writer at <i>The Atlantic</i>