WaPo's Ron Charles, in his Book Club newsletter, on Meta's repeated questions about his plans to review Sarah Wynn-Williams's "Careless People": "In my 27 years of reviewing and editing newspaper books sections, no company has ever done this with me." - ThreadSky

jenszalai.bsky.social • 63 days ago

WaPo's Ron Charles, in his Book Club newsletter, on Meta's repeated questions about his plans to review Sarah Wynn-Williams's "Careless People":

"In my 27 years of reviewing and editing newspaper books sections, no company has ever done this with me."

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Comments

seulementmoi.bsky.social•63 days ago

let's hope zuck doesn't put in a call to bezos

quantumjared.bsky.social•63 days ago

Talking about this and not linking to the review is criminal lol

audieklotz.bsky.social•63 days ago

Reason enough to buy the book but not from ‘zon: @bookshop-org.bsky.social or local bookstore

cstmoore.bsky.social•63 days ago

My question is: Will #JeffBozos allow any such review to be published?

bdpatton.bsky.social•63 days ago

Ok, Mr. Charles. Way to stand up to Meta.

Now, find and review books on how Amazon is a huge threat and I’ll be impressed.

Or maybe some books on media owners interfering with news and reporting.

problembear64.bsky.social•63 days ago

I've had good experiences with https://libro.fm

cellmorphosero.bsky.social•63 days ago

drdave99.bsky.social•63 days ago

Free speech is definitely under attack. Free speech makes it harder for corporations and dictators to control us. They don’t want to work so hard to maintain their power and control over us.

acearohanda.bsky.social•62 days ago

damn ill have to try to find it on a library app bc woof its quite expensive

bm0330.bsky.social•62 days ago

I responded by buying the book

rbbs.bsky.social•62 days ago

It will interesting to see if Meta will dowload the book from libgen to train its AI models.

seeyouinnj.bsky.social•63 days ago

It always comes across as very chill and professional when they repeatedly call and email to ask what you’re going to write about a book they haven’t read but have already crafted statements about that they don’t want to show you.

brianobliviondds.bsky.social•63 days ago

whrwlfthrwlf85v.bsky.social•63 days ago

So does this book just have stuff we already know or suspect about Meta & Zuckerberg, and this is just thin-skinned flailing by him on behalf of the attorneys? Or is there going to be something truly unforgiveable about Meta & Zuckerburg in this book?

chimax.bsky.social•63 days ago

I ordered a copy that should arrive this weekend. Honestly. It's like the people at Meta have never heard of The Streisand Effect. Did they all sleep through 2003?

andykiko.bsky.social•63 days ago

Barbara Streisand effect. Just bought the book.

sniffit.bsky.social•63 days ago

So how long before MC Saltine picks up the phone to call Bezos the KKKlown?

maj8.bsky.social•63 days ago

I am #200 on a waitlist at the Boston Public Library!

knguyen.bsky.social•63 days ago

Kind of amazing how their attempts to squash the book are just drawing more attention to it

seeyouinnj.bsky.social•63 days ago

Serious Streisand Effect. I wouldn’t have know about it and probably wouldn’t have been interested in what one exec had to say about other execs at Facebook. But now I must read it.

worknowitzki.bsky.social•63 days ago

Ha I could not agree more. Was not on my radar at all.

incompetusrex.bsky.social•63 days ago

Someone should probably come up with a name for this phenomenon.

jon-eisenberg.bsky.social•63 days ago

spacely.bsky.social•63 days ago

Yes. Some people..... people who need people....

vik-is-tired.bsky.social•63 days ago

rawrtigerlily.bsky.social•63 days ago

I put in a request with my library fast enough to make your head spin.

pixelfella.bsky.social•63 days ago

I just ordered it through my local independent bookstore, thanks only to this.

thelincoln.bsky.social•63 days ago

I absolutely had not heard of it until all this!

fromthemud.bsky.social•63 days ago

Copping.

carfire.bsky.social•63 days ago

lol, no? The owner of Amazon and WaPo doesn’t count?

ddopson.bsky.social•61 days ago

I don't know if I'll ever find the time to read / listen to this book, but I have more Audible credits than I know what to do with, so if buying this book sticks a finger in Meta's eye, sure, why not?

winslowinslow.bsky.social•61 days ago

It’s so gripping. Listening to the audiobook now. She knows how to set a scene.

cityofangelle.bsky.social•63 days ago

Yeah, I’d say people are interested.

benjaminlclark.com•63 days ago

The audio book is the popular choice at my local library

casey0222.bsky.social•63 days ago

Boston public has 219 people waiting.

mhartford.bsky.social•63 days ago

346 holds on 4 copies in Minneapolis - that's a solid wait list ...

cityofangelle.bsky.social•63 days ago

Update: @lapubliclibrary.bsky.social has acquired 50 more copies since I placed this hold. Which was *yesterday*.

sandrilelolai.bsky.social•61 days ago

I'm 1087 in line for the 64 copies. Bought the audiobook on libro to support my local bookstore!

yukoart.bsky.social•61 days ago

I bought the audiobook through Libro FM so I can support the author, sales number and also my local indie bookstore

dramaticskye411.bsky.social•63 days ago

We are.

Sarah Wynn-Williams, former Meta executive, has been barred from discussing criticism of the company.

That tells you all you need to know about these #Fascist #AmericanOligarchs.

#CarelessPeople

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/14/nx-s1-5318854/former-meta-executive-barred-from-discussing-criticism-of-the-company

peopledied2vote.bsky.social•57 days ago

“These first two months have been much more aggressively authoritarian than almost any other comparable case I know of democratic backsliding.”

itsapippithing.bsky.social•60 days ago

Lapl added 100 more copies which I got one of!

Will start tonight

mdrayer.bsky.social•62 days ago

Just grabbed it on Kindle

knightsfolly.bsky.social•61 days ago

Just checked my library:

finlen.bsky.social•61 days ago

Me too

nyckaty132.bsky.social•63 days ago

NYPL 18 weeks, 490 people ahead of me.

rismith.bsky.social•63 days ago

Surprised they couldn't find a preprint of the book on libgen.

terenabell.bsky.social•62 days ago

As a former reporter I can tell you, Meta's PR dept is EVIL. I wrote a couple of information security articles they didn't like & received rape threats. Another article, they called not my editor but the magazine owner asking to have me fired (I was freelance). This is who they are & have been.

elainemillerc.bsky.social•62 days ago

I ordered the book after reading an article about Meta’s actions.

odouglasprice.bsky.social•62 days ago

Are we going to have to rename the Streisand Effect the Meta Effect now? Meta really is doing a great job promoting the book!

jeffreyhulten.com•62 days ago

Let's not put that name on anything more than needed. Better to deprived Z of the oxygen.

odouglasprice.bsky.social•62 days ago

Good point!

anakanaschofield.bsky.social•63 days ago

I enjoyed listening to you read your piece, Jennifer.

toevs.bsky.social•62 days ago

@roncharles.bsky.social is a national treasure.

irishlace.bsky.social•61 days ago

I had not heard about this book until I read about this Meta nagging. Now I've bought it.

joylanzendorfer.bsky.social•62 days ago

Reading this book now. I'm enjoying it!

brockmeyer.bsky.social•63 days ago

Cool, just ordered a copy from my local Books, Inc. 👍

drewlawson.bsky.social•63 days ago

I would expect a public relations person to be smoother in communications. But it seems to be the era of pestering and bullying.

ridder.bsky.social•63 days ago

It's the public relations of a company that feels entitled to get what its tyrant owner wants.

bettinastruff.bsky.social•62 days ago

An excellent interview with her recently on @newsagents.bsky.social discussed the book in detail.

Truly shocking how completely amoral Zuckerberg apparently is.

samdeane.bsky.social•62 days ago

Here to second this. Confirmed previous stuff I've heard about the company, and I went straight out and bought the book because she deserves support for her bravery

cameronordsmith.bsky.social•62 days ago

He is absolutely amoral and has always been so

ohiohawkeye.bsky.social•63 days ago

Just ordered and I am excited to read it

ngatti.bsky.social•61 days ago

Facebook can do nothing. Due to author arbitration agreements, the ca keep the author from promoting the book, but the book is published already snd on the street. Everyone should read.

I deleted all Facebook snd insta accounts last year. You should all do this too.

Follow Jaron Lanier’s lead.

ngatti.bsky.social•61 days ago

I just placed a hold at my local library. I should be able to pick it up in 2 days,

qlm326.bsky.social•63 days ago

So sounds like META is on the Trump train, not just Zuckerberg

margaretdumont.bsky.social•63 days ago

The Streisand Effect Streisanding so very, very hard.

whatsforlynch.bsky.social•63 days ago

The Streisand Effect in action, folks.

marianigiles.bsky.social•62 days ago

Thank you. Just ordered a physical copy from our local bookshop, https://timbrebooks.com and an e-book from https://kobo.com.

progressivepeter.bsky.social•62 days ago

Ron Charles no doubt called Bezos directly as well.

realnuttyqueen.bsky.social•63 days ago

Saw reviews of it in Kirkus 3/11, NYT, and The Guardian so someone’s getting review copies. I wonder if they were contacted in the same way by Meta?

joshsteich.bsky.social•62 days ago

#Streissand

serehfas.bsky.social•62 days ago

Just a darn shame people are using Amazon to get it. Come to think of it, surprised Bezos has allowed it on his platform, given he and Zuck are both ladies in waiting to Rump.

serehfas.bsky.social•62 days ago

Thank you for the alt text.

taterpie.bsky.social•63 days ago

GUess I'm buying that book.

sheilaregan.bsky.social•62 days ago

I hope this makes it to the pages of the Washington Post, not just the newsletter?

untamedk9.bsky.social•62 days ago

first and formost they will need to decide if it "promotes capitalism and free markets"
🤔 It paints Meta/FB in a bad light....buuuut...Bezos is making bank on Amazon sales, so🤷‍♀️

k8c.bsky.social•62 days ago

📌

annakeesey.bsky.social•63 days ago

I just always think, how dare they?

johnconorryan.bsky.social•63 days ago

I have the book on my Kindle with wifi turned off just in case Meta persuades Amazon to rescind purchases of 'Careless People'. Am I paranoid? Yes. Is that paranoia justified? Also yes.
Are there shocking anecdotes? Yes. Are they surprising, really? Not so much.

natty4bumpo.bsky.social•62 days ago

I actually drove to Barnes & Nobles for a physical copy.

johnconorryan.bsky.social•62 days ago

But I live on a floating home, so weight is a real concern for people who *really* love books.

natty4bumpo.bsky.social•62 days ago

The overwhelming majority of my books are electronic, otherwise I'd have to rent one or two other apartments.

stormancer.com•63 days ago

If you install Kindle on pc, it's possible to copy the books, and there are programs available to convert them into formats that can be read on other readers apparently (did not try that yet)

kenryan.bsky.social•62 days ago

Calibre is a good one, it doesn't crack the drm but if you do some searching...

goldstar971.bsky.social•62 days ago

it can with plugins

kenryan.bsky.social•62 days ago

Hence the searching.

No I don't want to get explicit in today's political climate.

joshpindjak.biz•62 days ago

if you “buy” from kindle (amazon) you are just licensing the content, amazon can (and has before) remotely remove the book from your device once it’s connected to the internet. FYI.

johnconorryan.bsky.social•62 days ago

I know. (I am at @archive.org today, this is a subject I'm v aware of )

janejjetson.bsky.social•63 days ago

I guess I'll be buying this book today. Good job, Meta! Seriously, your review made me want to read it

juliandumitrascu.bsky.social•63 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/juliandumitrascu.bsky.social/post/3lkfuasab6s2z

notkaspeck.bsky.social•60 days ago

I had today off from work, so I bought the eBook this morning and read it straight through. Unholy hell, in so many ways.

All of these bazillionaire techbros and their leaning in enablers need to be yeeted into the sun.

heybruce.bsky.social•60 days ago

I'm trying to not spoil anything but..... it's mind-blowing!!

daleratner.bsky.social•62 days ago

The Streisand Effect has been a thing for how many decades now? These guys just don’t get it.

karmasdad.bsky.social•63 days ago

Corporations and billionaires are literally taking control of our government and the entire Republican Party is collaborating with them to destroy our democracy.

mbbarber916.bsky.social•62 days ago

Hahaha they are totally Streisanding this book. It’s more popular than ever! (But apparently the copies to my local library haven’t made it in yet because of the legal block attempts.)

mbbarber916.bsky.social•62 days ago

Speaking of libraries, Trump unconstitutionally axed all federal funds for libraries, state and local, last night in another Friday night executive order. Petition here to restore it: https://action.everylibrary.org/eoimls2025

javamanphil.bsky.social•63 days ago

And just like that, a new book added to my queue. Praise be, Streisand.

inbaudwetrust.com•62 days ago

Welp this just went right to the top of my next non-fiction reading list

bluefrog21.bsky.social•62 days ago

Same

pencilmarks.bsky.social•62 days ago

Never heard of the book but if someone corporate is attempting to ban it that's enough of a selling point to buy it, which I just have.
Thanks.
Always read the books "they" don't want you to read.

jonsternfeld.bsky.social•63 days ago

The Streisand Effect on this thing is through the roof. Gonna buy a copy this weekend.

b0t.bsky.social•63 days ago

eternally shocked at how bad the biggest social media company is at navigating social media

rme33.bsky.social•62 days ago

They don’t have to be good at it if your only other choice is to go offline.

lisadtrice.bsky.social•62 days ago

🤭

crow202.com•63 days ago

If Bezos and Zuckerberg are worried about people reading this book, then that makes it sound like everybody and their cow *should* read it.

bealeiderman.bsky.social•63 days ago

Exactly! Looking for it from an independent book seller

juliandumitrascu.bsky.social•63 days ago

https://bsky.app/profile/juliandumitrascu.bsky.social/post/3lkfuasab6s2z

lisadtrice.bsky.social•62 days ago

🎉

deedaseed.bsky.social•62 days ago

Now I feel a real need to read this book 😆 (excellent PR for it w/out a review).

hrpac.bsky.social•62 days ago

Just bought the book on audible, f the Zuck company.

juneblender.bsky.social•62 days ago

I'm not sure Bezos is much better.

percyjones.bsky.social•63 days ago

Good use of the word snuff.

wesbarton.bsky.social•63 days ago

Lol, my hardcover arrived yesterday

meehawl.com•63 days ago

Help me Facebook LLM:

"Did Mark Zuckerberg really learn anything from calling his first users "dumb fucks" or was he just upset that he got caught saying it?"

https://bsky.app/profile/meehawl.com/post/3kqh7prm2xk2k

lyricdesigns.bsky.social•62 days ago

Huh. Well I just put in a library hold request

iamtam.bsky.social•63 days ago

I'm one of 232 people currently waiting for a copy at our library. Hopefully this means they'll pick up some extra copies so it can reach more people.

robinsjessica.bsky.social•62 days ago

It sounds like I should buy a copy from a local bookstore and donate it to my local library when I'm done reading it.

pickledllama.bsky.social•62 days ago

I'm 168th in line at mine lol

talentedripley.bsky.social•62 days ago

Brilliant.

relfal.bsky.social•62 days ago

The Santa Clara County Library System shows 121 holds on the physical book, 378 on the ebook, and 380 on the audiobook.

lumpblock.bsky.social•63 days ago

chocoloco707.bsky.social•63 days ago

Never heard of this but now I just bought it in my Kobo eReader!

swizzlesister64.bsky.social•63 days ago

Zuckerberg will just have a chat with Bezos to fire him.

kimberleelynn.bsky.social•63 days ago

Zuckerberg seems concerned.

dmbfanatic.bsky.social•63 days ago

Streisand effect

britterson.bsky.social•62 days ago

Immediately put the audiobook on hold at my library but it says I have a “several months wait”. I’m sure it will be worth it.

graysupreme382.bsky.social•63 days ago

I immediately look up the author & book

lalenjames.bsky.social•63 days ago

Meta is your creepy stalker ex-girlfriend who is calling around trying to find out which pottery class you now attend.

mikeferdinando.bsky.social•63 days ago

Just bought a copy from my friendly local bookstore.

ellenb.bsky.social•63 days ago

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/careless-people-sarah-wynn-williams/1147093187

bittenbeads.bsky.social•62 days ago

https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781250403155-careless-people

For those of us who use audiobooks and want to support indie bookstores, try @libro.fm and ask your local library to carry it!

therebis1475.bsky.social•62 days ago

Only #108 hold at the local public library!

talentedripley.bsky.social•62 days ago

Thank you! I’m so done supporting oligarchs.

abogadomike.bsky.social•62 days ago

Done!

garigalanj.bsky.social•62 days ago

Sounds worth listening to. Hope it becomes available in Australia

amicusopus.bsky.social•62 days ago

About buying books/media, everyone should make a budget for fighting fascism and consider how much more you are willing to pay or wait for delivery, etc.

sneetch222.bsky.social•63 days ago

Please purchase your book from your local independent bookstore or on https://bookshop.org to keep your money away from more evil empires.

sdrose.bsky.social•62 days ago

I really, really, really want to see zuck’s depo transcript from yesterday

sdrose.bsky.social•63 days ago

Perfect title for this book, audio version is narrated by the author. Sold!

Not for nothing, @karaswisher.bsky.social in her “Burn Book” noted that Zuck is the most careless of the careless tech bros.

I hope his depo transcript will be available

sdrose.bsky.social•63 days ago

Time to buy the book, NOT from Amazon

timmorton2.bsky.social•63 days ago

Blimey, this #FreeSpeech malarkey is more complicated than I thought, so I turned to #MarinaHyde for guidance.
Heavens to Betsy! #CarelessPeople
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/14/mark-zuckerberg-free-speech-meta-sheryl-sandberg

cameron-westerner.bsky.social•63 days ago

Just ordered a copy from my local independent merchant. Thanks Meta, you amoral, empathy free greedy bastards.

stephwest28.bsky.social•63 days ago

I’m halfway through the book and it is amazing. Everyone should read it

nancysthompson.bsky.social•59 days ago

Thank you for posting this, and for NOT being a spineless idiot (both you and especially Ron Charles) who caves to pressure from bullies to not post about things that are damaging or disparaging to those terrified pests.

tracyslater.bsky.social•63 days ago

I read this whole part of the newsletter and was rapt. @roncharles.bsky.social, you said it was the longest you've gone on in the book newsletter. It was great. Fascinating, disturbing, and very informative.

ambersparks.bsky.social•63 days ago

I’m so glad he wrote this. Really disturbing stuff.

jccoes.bsky.social•63 days ago

I bought a copy from https://bookshop.org because I didn't want to be number 1000+ on the waitlist for any format from the library, AND it benefits a local bookstore :D

ubalubi.bsky.social•63 days ago

never heard of this before but wow you just changed my life

jccoes.bsky.social•63 days ago

It's a great way to support indie bookstores and authors and divest from Amazon! And yay, I'm so happy to hear it!

ubalubi.bsky.social•63 days ago

yes!! Was searching for a way to circumvent Amazon. Can't wait to read this book! And support libraries whenever I need a new one!

frogbeleren.bsky.social•63 days ago

This is the way.

macgyveringthis.bsky.social•62 days ago

I was in Barnes and Noble today and the book practically JUMPED into my hands and yelled “buy me”! So I did.

drokka.bsky.social•62 days ago

Was going to give this a pass, but my library system has the audiobook, so I’ll get to it as soon as it gets to me.

heidischuster.bsky.social•62 days ago

There are 376 people waiting to check this book put at my library!

mbbarber916.bsky.social•62 days ago

We have numbers close to that. Not sure if the ebook and audiobook can be loaned until the legal block is lifted, though.

omerta.bsky.social•63 days ago

we must stop Amazon's controlling narrative and abuse

ginammack.bsky.social•63 days ago

And at the same time the book is making money for Amazon.

sotsogm.bsky.social•62 days ago

It's a tell-all about Meta, not Amazon, but I nevertheless encourage everyone to follow the link elsewhere in this thread and to buy books online from https://bookshop.org in general. They're set up to support local booksellers. They've also recently started selling ebooks if that's your jam.

ginammack.bsky.social•62 days ago

In know that and I was responding directly to a criticism of Amazon. 🙄

omerta.bsky.social•62 days ago

No need to roll your eyes. It wasn't apparent

rawrtigerlily.bsky.social•63 days ago

You can buy it elsewhere.

https://bookshop.org/p/books/careless-people-a-cautionary-tale-of-power-greed-and-lost-idealism/22213433

ridder.bsky.social•63 days ago

Just bought mine here. Thank you.

omerta.bsky.social•63 days ago

Can confirm this is a good site for supporting authors

msrosemarie.bsky.social•63 days ago

I've had a https://bookstore.org gift certificate sitting in my inbox for a while...guess I know what I'm using it on! And this legit sounds like when Sc*entol*gy messaged every critic who wrote about the doc Going Clear. Super normal behavior.

jashsf.bsky.social•62 days ago

Jesus H Christ. Every single word in that book is obviously true. Shame on anyone still using Facebook.

zachreddy.bsky.social•62 days ago

I still have an FB account as there are still a lot of less-online folks on there who can be reached and informed despite the algorithm. Also loads of progressive groups that haven't switched over to bsky or discord. I did delete the apps for FB/insta/threads in favor of browser/web access though.

jashsf.bsky.social•62 days ago

I held out for years just because of family. But I finally deleted mine after the election. I do not miss it. Texts work fine. And no progressive groups should be on there. It’s just as bad as twitter. And musk.

cameronordsmith.bsky.social•62 days ago

I was the same, had a near-inactive account for years for distant F and F. But when Zuck did his obscene post-election theatre, I realised that the people I really want to keep up with, also don't use it much either. So closed account completely.

reginaweaverauthor.bsky.social•63 days ago

It wasn't remotely on my radar before I read an article about Meta suing the author yesterday. Since then:

* I bought a copy
* I told ~20 people I know personally about it (at least 3 bought it too)
* Posted about it on bsky, discord, reddit, threads, & Facebook
* Requested my library get a copy