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PUBLISHED
©2025
Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2025]
©2025
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pages cm
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Originally published as La Tech : quand la Silicon Valley refait le monde, ©2023, Éditions du Seuil
Introduction -- What is tech? -- Surviving in an investment economy -- Making culture a universal variable -- Geniuses at work -- Evolutionary companies -- Programming uncertainty -- Burning Man, the spirit of Silicon Valley -- Technology, a religion of the future -- The wolf of Market Street -- Conclusion
"Sometimes only an outsider can show the world how an industry works--and how that industry works upon the world. In Tech, sociologist Olivier Alexandre takes us on a revealing tour of Silicon Valley's prominent personalities and vibrant networks to capture the way its denizens live, think, relate, and innovate, shaping not just tech culture but the very code and conduct of business itself. Even seasoned observers will gain insight into the industry's singular milieu from Alexandre's piercing eye. He spends as much time with Silicon Valley's major players as with those who fight daily to survive within a system engineered for disruption. Embedded deep within the community, Alexandre accesses rooms shut tight to the public and reports back on the motivations, ambitions, and radical vision guiding tech companies. From the conquest of space to quantum computing, engineers have recast the infinitely large and small. Scientists project the end of death and work to surpass human beings with machines. But at what cost? Alexandre sees a shadow hanging over the Valley, jeopardizing its future and the economy made in its image. Critical yet fair, Tech illuminates anew a world of perpetual revolution"-- Provided by publisher