Mindf*ck

Cambridge Analytica and the Plot to Break America

By: Christopher Wylie

Narrated by: Graham Halstead

Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

For the first time, the Cambridge Analytica whistleblower tells the inside story of the data mining and psychological manipulation behind the election of Donald Trump and the Brexit referendum, connecting Facebook, WikiLeaks, Russian intelligence, and international hackers.

“Mindf*ck demonstrates how digital influence operations, when they converged with the nasty business of politics, managed to hollow out democracies.” (The Washington Post)

Named one of the Best Books of the Year by Evening Standard

Mindf*ck goes deep inside Cambridge Analytica’s "American operations", which were driven by Steve Bannon’s vision to remake America and fueled by mysterious billionaire Robert Mercer’s money, as it weaponized and wielded the massive store of data it had harvested on individuals - in excess of 87 million - to disunite the United States and set Americans against each other. Bannon had long sensed that deep within America’s soul lurked an explosive tension. Cambridge Analytica had the data to prove it, and in 2016 Bannon had a presidential campaign to use as his proving ground.

Christopher Wylie might have seemed an unlikely figure to be at the center of such an operation. Canadian and liberal in his politics, he was only 24 when he got a job with a London firm that worked with the UK Ministry of Defense and was charged putatively with helping to build a team of data scientists to create new tools to identify and combat radical extremism online. In short order, those same military tools were turned to political purposes, and Cambridge Analytica was born.

Wylie’s decision to become a whistleblower prompted the largest data-crime investigation in history. His story is both exposé and dire warning about a sudden problem born of very new and powerful capabilities. It has not only laid bare the profound vulnerabilities - and profound carelessness - in the enormous companies that drive the attention economy, it has also exposed the profound vulnerabilities of democracy itself. What happened in 2016 was just a trial run. Ruthless actors are coming for your data, and they want to control what you think.

©2019 Christopher Wylie (P)2019 Random House Audio

Just Wow

If like me, you're a political beast, infatuated with human behavior and drawn to thrillers then you will like this book. It's been almost a full year since I finished it and the feeling I had afterward is still as strong.

This is a real-life Hollywood blockbuster rife with behavioral science, game theory, and the social engineering that resulted in the last 4 years of the political landscape that ultimately impacted millions of people globally.

The story alone, which was so incredible I often did my own research to verify, was powerful enough to carry the production but it only benefited from a strong performance that honestly left me blown away.

I HIGHLY recommend this listen. It was revealing, human and chilling when you realize it's real.

Has Joe Biden read this?

HBO, if you're listening, I hope you are able to finance this miniseries. I'm sure you'll be greatly rewarded.

Scary!

Basically your social media info is out there and companies can do that they want with it. I don’t understand how this isn’t talked about more and why nothing is being done to prevent it from happening. Weaponizing social media to target people is so scary.

A must read book to understand the world today!

If you are looking to understand how our country and world have become so divided, angry, and intolerant, this book will be very helpful.

We are all mindf*cked

Christopher is a brilliant writer and thinker leading us through his life with humor and insight to the perilous ethics of data mining. Cambridge Analytical is still actively inferring in our 2020 elections under a new company name. The Mercer family and Steve Bannon utilized Facebook ads and pages to divide Americans and promote hatred in 2016. It is still happening and Facebook is manipulating groups to support right wing ideology. Wylie suggests data engineers be held to ethic conduct standards and not excused to mine data for nefarious mind control purposes. Facebook must be held to ethical standards and our privacy protected not sold. We are in a defining decade in 2020 to create safety and awareness of identity exploitation and the dangers around us. A must read for everyone online.

Damn good book!!

Truley eye opening.. kinda makes you mad.. makes you wanna participate type of book! Must read!

Everybody should read this book!

Interesting and understandable. Really makes a person realize how these companies work and influence our lives.

Frightening and Thorough

Frightening and thorough explanation of full scale plot to thwart democracy. We should all understand how the current game of swaying public opinion is being played and this story makes it painfully clear that our individual rights are not a top priority for many who hold great power.

Good info

Wasn’t sure if I was going to finish after first few chapters.

The story really picks up though and I could not stop listening.

EVERYONE MUST READ

If you’re wondering what the f is going on in the world these days and find yourself asking “how did this happen?” a lot, then read this book. This is how it happened.