Book Review: Careless People: A Story of Where I Used to Work by Sarah Wynn-Williams

What happens when you peel back the layers of one of the most powerful tech giants in history? Sarah Wynn-Williams doesn’t just lift the curtain—she rips it off entirely. In Careless People: A Story of Where I Used to Work, she exposes a company culture that, according to her, wields global influence with chilling indifference.

Careless People is available now to buy on Amazon

Wynn-Williams recounts moments that read like scenes from a dystopian screenplay—typing memos from the delivery room as contractions surged, all to meet Facebook’s unyielding demands. Her memoir offers a rare glimpse into the ironclad grip of Facebook's leadership, detailing her years working alongside Sheryl Sandberg and interacting with Mark Zuckerberg himself. The portrait she paints is less of a corporation and more of a 'diabolical cult' that prioritizes influence and profit over ethics and humanity.

The most unsettling chapters take place far from Silicon Valley, in places like Myanmar, where Wynn-Williams details Facebook’s role in political manipulation and spreading hate speech with devastating consequences. Her reflections on Myanmar alone are enough to rethink the power that tech giants have over global narratives.

But it’s not just about the global stage; Careless People also pulls back the curtain on Facebook’s internal culture—a place where the personal is secondary to the mission, and where questioning the status quo can cost you everything. Wynn-Williams shares shocking encounters, from executive misconduct to the silent complicity that allowed it to thrive. The portrayal of Zuckerberg as a tech-bro Henry VIII and Sandberg’s ‘Lean In’ mantra reimagined as a tool for self-exploitation is as bold as it is damning.

Careless People is also available in audiobook format.

What struck me most is Wynn-Williams's transformation—a former believer in Facebook's utopian promises, she eventually confronts its darker realities. Her story is a powerful reminder of how tech influence is reshaping not just societies but the very fabric of democracy.

Initially I was in the bookstore to grab Mustafa Suleyman's The Coming Wave, which I've been planning on reading for a while (it'll be the next one). However, the blurb on Wynn-Williams's book was too compelling not to buy. If you’re curious about the inner workings of big tech or want a raw look at how ambition and ethics collide, Careless People is a must-read.

It’s not just a memoir—it’s a warning.