Whistleblower

My Journey to Silicon Valley and Fight for Justice at Uber

By: Susan Fowler

Narrated by: Susan Fowler

Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

“A powerful illustration of the obstacles our society continues to throw up in the paths of ambitious young women.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Important . . . empowering.”—Gayle King, CBS This Morning

"That [Fowler] became a whistle-blower and a pioneer of a social movement almost seems inevitable once you get to know her. Uber should have seen her coming.”—San Francisco Chronicle

Named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR

Susan Fowler was just twenty-five years old when her blog post describing the sexual harassment and retaliation she'd experienced at Uber riveted the nation. Her post would eventually lead to the ousting of Uber's powerful CEO, but its ripples extended far beyond that, as her courageous choice to attach her name to the post inspired other women to speak publicly about their experiences. In the year that followed, an unprecedented number of women came forward, and Fowler was recognized by Time as one of the "Silence Breakers" who ignited the #MeToo movement.

Here, she shares her full story: a story of extraordinary determination and resilience that reveals what it takes—and what it means—to be a whistleblower. Long before she arrived at Uber, Fowler's life had been defined by her refusal to accept her circumstances. She propelled herself from an impoverished childhood with little formal education to the Ivy League, and then to a coveted position at one of the most valuable companies in the history of Silicon Valley. Each time she was mistreated, she fought back or found a way to reinvent herself; all she wanted was the opportunity to define her own dreams and work to achieve them. But when she discovered Uber's pervasive culture of sexism, racism, harassment, and abuse, and that the company would do nothing about it, she knew she had to speak out—no matter what it cost her.

Whistleblower takes us deep inside this shockingly toxic workplace and reveals new details about the aftermath of the blog post, in which Fowler was investigated and followed, hacked and threatened, to the point that she feared for her life. But even as it illuminates how the deck is stacked in favor of the status quo, Fowler's story serves as a crucial reminder that we can take our power back. Both moving personal narrative and rallying cry, Whistleblower urges us to be the heroes of our own stories, and to keep fighting for a more just and equitable world.

©2020 Susan Fowler (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Sharp and engrossing . . . A powerful illustration of the obstacles our society continues to throw up in the paths of ambitious young women, and the ways that institutions still protect and enable badly behaving men.”—The New York Times Book Review

“This is not just a book for people interested in the culture of Silicon Valley. Like all the best books, it delivers the reader into a fully drawn world she may never have imagined . . . At times it reads like a spy thriller, at others like a satire of what might happen when corporate overlords go unchecked . . . It is not just a book about harassment or inequality; it is the story of a woman navigating a world that would rather not deal with her . . . The details around her experience at Uber are the sizzle; Fowler’s own story is the steak. She’s an unlikely hero, unconnected, anachronistic and almost irritatingly admirable, a woman blessed with unending curiosity and an exceptional facility to learn. That she became a whistle-blower and a pioneer of a social movement almost seems inevitable once you get to know her. Uber should have seen her coming.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Gut-wrenching . . . An intimate first-person account that doubles as a warning . . . [Whistleblower is] the story of how Fowler’s life was shaped by her time at Uber—but a story, too, of her fight for a life that would not succumb to the company’s influence . . . Fowler’s story—her full story—is the indictment. That is what gives Whistleblower its power.”—The Atlantic

This book is about so much more than Uber

Susan Fowler has one of the most fascinating lives, and this book is so well written.
Susan goes in depth about all the adversity she’s had to overcome, and that honesty and vulnerability are the things that really make this story great.
Susan’s story is inspiring, motivating, and infuriating all at the same time.

Peeling back the layers in discovering destiny

I felt for Susan in ways that you would have compassion and empathy for a very close friend.
I was so caught up in my own philosophy which is that we are here to learn our own life lessons and if we don’t learn, we are then presented with that lesson in different forms and with different people until we ‘get it’ and move on. It seems as if Susan was destined for preparation in becoming a Whistleblower. She is an inspiration to me!

wow

I bought this book to take a break from the business books that are "heavy". Expecting a 4 may be a 3 star book. I thought I know the most of the story already. I was wrong. It is easy to read and very good too.

Susan’s courage has made the workplace better

I’m a 19 year old women who is majoring in Computer Science. Your courage has made the industry better and I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for women in the workplace.

A walk down memory lane

I’m so impressed by the Author’s intelligence and persistence! She took risks that few do.
I wanted to yell “Me too”!

But back when I started in IT there was no such thing as sexual harassment or even sex discrimination. Harassment events in 1969, 1971, and 1976 have taken me years to let go of - or maybe not. Discrimination continues. Fortunately I had no ambition to work in Silicon Valley. I’m of the generation that paved the way for women today.

For every woman who reads this book, learn to record every interaction that is inappropriate. Save every text, email and document conversations. For every man who reads this book, learn that harassment and discrimination are wrong and if you got away from it in the past, it won’t be forever.

Thank you Susan Fowler!

Bravery at its best! Susan shares her experience with sexism in the workplace. Something the majority of woman have experienced.

I am so thankful for this well-written and factual account of a woman’s experience in Silicon Valley. It takes a tremendous amount of energy, strength and resolve to fight back against sexism and our society benefits from it. The majority of women have to deal with unconscious bias (which is infuriating) on a daily basis, but to have to deal with this type of bold sexism and discrimination is unfathomable. Thanks to Susan for being brave enough to share her story and not giving in to the fear that we all wrestle with.

A compelling must-read

Susan Fowler is my hero. Her courage, honesty, and perseverance inspire me to speak up for what is right and not tolerate the bro-culture any longer. We must change this for our daughters’ futures.

Fascinating True Story

Audible narration by author was perfect. i hope she goes back to Penn and holds them accountable, too.

I thought I knew the story; then I listened

absolutely sobering book. distressing on several levels, but also in the end inspiring.

Susan has shown remarkable courage, character, intelligence and the ability to convey her thoughts in words. While it took a while for this story to come out, I believe this was the right medium for her to tell her story. The context matters and she comes across as very authentic and sincere.

Also, for something like this, I think it's especially valuable to hear the story in the authors own voice. I did not want a professional voice; I wanted to hear her voice. So I am grateful for that.

Shockingly fascinating

As a woman who’s worked in SV for over 20 years I felt it was an obligation to read this book. After all, I not only dealt with many of these same issues myself, I now counseled corporations on optimizing their teams to get get the best out of each individual. I figured this would be a fairly dull read and so I downloaded this plus a fun fiction book to read after, kind of like a better tasting chaser. Boy, was I wrong! Susan’s story is fascinating! She’s dealt with so much adversity throughout her life and her background and upbringing gave her the strength to deal with the mess that was Uber. Funny anecdote. Just a few months before Susan went public, I passed on a job offer at Uber because I’d heard about the toxic culture. A good friend actually told me, “You will be eaten alive.” So none of anything Susan discusses was a surprise to me, except for the constant mismanagement of each occurrence. This was a great read/listen and total page-turner. Will be recommending to my friends and sisters!