Beyond the Valley

Praise

“Beyond the Valley shows how we got to a place where a few big tech companies pull the strings and the rest of us work on command, without a secure future. Like the Green New Deal, it also shows us a way out, toward a digital new deal where we can reclaim the power and shape a world that includes us all. Read this book for its compelling vision of digital economy that provides decent work, wages, and justice for everyone.” – Van Jones, CEO of REFORM Alliance; Host of The Redemption Project and The Van Jones Show on CNN

“It sounds almost quaint to talk about privacy, fairness, and credible information these days. So it goes when Silicon Valley designs things for the rest of us based on what they think is important and cool — and profitable for them. What would it look like to turn the tables? Let’s give the users control over the way algorithms and design choices are optimized. If you’re tired of the surveillance, bias, and propaganda that are warping our world, read this book to see how things can be different.” – Cathy O’Neil, CEO of ORCAA; author of Weapons of Math Destruction

“In my work with Black Lives Matter, I have seen the power of people, and communities, and technology working together to support the aims of justice, equity, and diversity. So why do we assume we must accept surveillance-driven systems, low-paying crowd work, and racist algorithms? Beyond the Valley shows that there is nothing inevitable about the technology we have. Let’s reach for something better.” – Patrisse Cullors, Cofounder of Black Lives Matter Global Network

“Readers of this brilliant book will discover that the sources of digital innovation today can be found across the world, with many technologies of the future coming from rural places. From Mexico to East Africa, people are using technology to solve problems and improve lives — without help from Silicon Valley or China. Beyond the Valley offers a vision for a digital world that places diversity front and center.” – Vicente Fox, former President of Mexico; founder of Centro Fox

“Great reporting from around the developing world reminds us how blinkered our view of digital technology really is — this book will expand your thinking about how we might make these networks work for us (and about the realms of human life we need to shield from them).” – Bill McKibben, author of Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?; founder, 350.org