‘Cyberselfish’ author takes aim at Silicon Valley libertarians as her book returns from the dead
Paulina Borsook's 2000 book 'Cyberselfish' is being republished as interest in her critique of Silicon Valley's techno-libertarian culture resurfaces. The author discusses how these early ideologies have influenced modern tech industry challenges.
Why it matters
It offers a historical perspective on the cultural roots of Silicon Valley, providing context for current debates on tech regulation and ethics.
It’s hard for books about technology to age well. They always risk becoming outdated as companies rise and fall, and as one hot new product is replaced by the next.
But last year, “Nerd Reich” author Gil Durán declared that it was time to revive the career of Paulina Borsook, who he said “saw it all very clearly and tried to warn us 25 years ago.” Later that fall, The New York Times reported that Borsook’s “Cyberselfish ” — first published in 2000 — was finding new fans who wanted to understand why the tech industry “lost its way.”
Now, long after going out of print, “Cyberselfish” is returning in a new edition from Tin House .
Borsook told me in a Zoom interview that the book is meant to be “almost a travelogue” of her attempts to understand what she calls the techno-libertarian influence on Silicon Valley culture.
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