Traffic

A riveting insider's look at the history of online news media . . . Smith's rigorous journalism and proximity to his subject imbue this with abounding insight, and the author's sharp eye for character gives it the feel of a novel. Sobering and captivating, this is an essential take on the 21st-century media landscape. -Publishers Weekly (starred review) Ben Smith is the Tom Wolfe of our digital age: the writer capturing what we lived through, what to make of it and-best of all-the drama of billion-dollar rivalries between nerds and delinquents. Traffic profiles the grifters, dreamers, geniuses and asshats who constructed the golden age of digital media. You should absolutely read this book. -Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better This is a rollicking and fun, but also unnerving, chronicle of how the colorful characters at Gawker, BuzzFeed and other outlets invented the era of viral media and what the consequences, both bright and very ominous, have been. It's a joy to read, but it will also open your eyes to how hot medias have melted our democracy. -Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of The Code Breaker Traffic is the definitive account of the rise of digital media and the attention economy. The book is smart, entertaining and insightful. It reveals how technology and our shifting media landscape have forever transformed culture, politics, and the world we live in. It's a fascinating read and peek behind the curtain of how culture gets made. Having played a key role in the industry itself, Smith is an expert chronicler of the promise and the failures of digital media and tech giants. The book captures the highs and lows of the dawn of social media and the influencer world. You won't be able to put it down. It's authoritative, captivating, and a must read for anyone who cares about our information ecosystem. -Taylor Lorenz, technology columnist, Washington Post Ben Smith tells a true story of the internet, how for so many dreamers it ends in heartbreak. Here, in an edge-of-your seat narrative, we watch the gold-rush value of clicks, eyeballs, and unique visitors go to practically nothing for everyone else as Facebook takes it all. An honest, insightful, unsparing literature about the internet occupies a very sparse shelf, but Smith, both actor and acute observer in this tale, adds a likely classic to it. -Michael Wolff, bestselling author of Fire and Fury and Burn Rate