Book Report #212 Lab Rats

Lab Rats by Dan Lyons

The writer of Disrupted is back with another book about Silicon Valley. Lab Rats carries the same tone as his previous work, and delves into the madness that people are experiencing at work. He is sympathetic to the suffering of employees, and explores its cause.

It gave me a lot to think about. I have new insight into how companies outside tech feel pushed to run like startups, even while startups are more like a religion than an actually successful business model. I learned about the effects of Milton Friedman's work that celebrates maximizing shareholder value. It's a system that mentally and emotionally destroys people. There's also the issue of change for no actual beneficial purpose. When people have no job stability whatsoever, they suffer hugely and the pain radiates out.

I appreciated that the book left off on a positive note. I enjoyed learning about ethically run businesses and ethical investing. I'm interested in ESG investing now (environmental, social, and governance), especially because it's showing positive returns. Hearing about the VCs at Kapor Capital was also heartening. There is a way to invest in companies that promotes a better world, and it can be wildly successful.

General consensus: While Dan can be a little over-the-top at times, and gloss over things that may require more nuance, I still think he gives good food for thought in a compelling way.