Week Eleven Prompt: The Readers' Advisory Matrix
THE READERS’ ADVISORY MATRIX
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
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1 Where is the book on the narrative
continuum? q Highly narrative
(reads like fiction) þ A mix (combines
highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose) q Highly fact
based (has few or no narrative moments) |
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2 What is the subject of the book? This book tells
the story of the rise and fall of the Silicon Valley startup Theranos—a company which created a machine to make blood testing
faster and less painful. |
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3 What type of book is it? This book is a
blend of business, investigative journalism, and true crime. |
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4 Articulate appeal What is the pacing of the book? The book is detailed and does not read quickly. Describe the characters of the book. The main characters are Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, COO Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, and journalist John Carreyrou. How does the story feel? While it contains factual information, the tone of the story is mysterious and deceitful. What is the intent of the author? To expose the truth about Theranos. What is the focus of the story? The Theranos corporation from its conception and rise to fame to its eventual downfall. Does the language matter? Yes. Is the setting important and well described? The setting is only important to aid in the development of the Silicon Valley atmosphere. Other settings are mentioned in relation to the story, but are not as important. Are there details and, if so, of what? There are a lot of details about the Theranos Edison devices (which were created to run blood tests), information about the main players in the company including Holmes and Balwani, details about the work environment provided by several former employees, and details about Carreyrou’s quest to uncover the truth behind Theranos. Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear? There are no charts or graphic materials. There are photographs of Holmes, Balwani, the Edison device, and the Theranos lab at the end of the book. Does
the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience? All three, learning
about Theranos, Holmes, and Silicon Valley through research and interviews,
understanding the secretive and manipulative workplace atmosphere at Theranos,
and experiencing what is what like to work at Theranos and with Holmes and
Balwani. |
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5 Why would a reader enjoy this book (rank
appeal)? 1.
Intent of author 2.
Tone 3.
Storyline |
Reference
Wyatt, N. (2007). The readers’ advisory guide to
nonfiction. American Library Association.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds intriguing and like one I would really enjoy based on how you described it. Since it is a mix of investigative journalism and true crime I could see a lot of people wanting to read more about the subject after finishing the book. If you read it, did you enjoy it?
Abby Abbott
I read it last year, and it was very interesting! White collar crime/Silicon Valley can be a pretty dry topic, but Carreyrou's investigative journalism approach makes this book worth reading. I actually listened to the audiobook and it felt like listening to a podcast. It was fun to learn about Theranos. There's also a documentary about Holmes and the company on HBO--it's called The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley.
DeleteThe title and placement reminds me a lot of the "Fyre Fest" documentary. (If you haven't seen it, it's about this sleazy executive that "planned" an elite festival and then scammed anyone who bought a ticket for it.) The main focus being on "secrets and lies" makes the book sounds more like a mystery, rather than a nonfiction. I've never read or seen anything similar to this! Great matrix!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I've actually seen that documentary! This book is very focused on the "secrets and lies" aspect, so in some ways, it does read like fiction. But there's also a lot of factual information. I guess you could say it reads like an exposé.
DeleteAt first this sounded like a (possibly boring) book about a Silicon Valley company that I would normally not be interested in. But then you brought in the intrigue with the true crime element. Even though I have no idea what this company is, I now want to know why it failed and why you refer to Theranos as having a "secretive and manipulative workplace atmosphere." Your readers' advisory matrix has piqued my interest!
ReplyDeleteI have heard about Elizabeth Holmes a few times but did not realize there was a book. I love a good true crime story. While this one is not something I would normally read, now I am taking a second look at it! Are you a mystery/true crime fan?
ReplyDeleteI'm a fan of true crime documentaries and the podcast Crime Junkie, but I'm trying to branch out and read more true crime books. This is one of the few that I've read.
DeleteThis was a compelling and unique read. Great job filling out the matrix. Full points!
ReplyDelete