Don't Be Evil | Claire Stapleton

Don't Be Evil: Bad Bosses, Fake Promises, and My Escape from Big Tech

Accolades & Praise

• A whip-smart and timely memoir exploring the realities of corporate culture and worker radicalization within the technology sector.
• An essential read for fans of How to Do Nothing, offering a biting and candid look back at a surreal era in Big Tech.

Extended Synopsis

Don't Be Evil is a candid, uncensored memoir chronicling Claire Stapleton's twelve-year career inside one of the world's most powerful technology corporations. Stapleton details her evolution from an enthusiastic early corporate insider—tasked with helping shape and promote Google's internal narrative—to a disillusioned employee confronting the stark contrasts between the company's stated ideals and its actual practices.

The narrative provides a gripping, ground-level view of a surreal era in the tech industry, defined by false promises, bad bosses, and what the author describes as "fake work." Stapleton’s journey takes a critical turn as she transitions from buying into the corporate ethos to becoming a key organizer of the historic 2018 Google Walkout, representing a major flashpoint in tech worker organizing.

Beyond a mere workplace exposé, the book grapples with profound existential questions about modern labor. It challenges readers to consider how we can disentangle our personal identities from our professions in a culture that relentlessly insists our careers define who we are, ultimately charting a path toward finding power and purpose beyond the confines of a job title.

About the Author

Claire Stapleton is a writer and former tech worker who spent over a decade at Google. She gained international prominence as a key organizer of the 2018 Google Walkout, a mass protest addressing the company's handling of sexual misconduct, workplace inequality, and systemic corporate ethics failures. Her writing focuses on workplace culture, the tech industry, and the complexities of modern labor.

Reader Targeting

• Tech industry professionals, labor organizers, and individuals interested in corporate ethics.
• Readers of modern memoirs detailing career disillusionment and personal empowerment.
• Students of business, economics, and contemporary social movements.

Bibliographic & Physical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Don't Be Evil about?
The book is a memoir by Claire Stapleton detailing her twelve-year career at Google. It covers her shift from a dedicated corporate insider to becoming deeply disillusioned by the tech industry's culture, culminating in her role organizing the historic 2018 Google Walkout.

What was the 2018 Google Walkout?
It was a massive, coordinated protest by Google employees worldwide demanding changes to the company's handling of sexual misconduct, workplace inequality, and systemic corporate ethics failures. Claire Stapleton was one of the core organizers.

What themes does the book explore besides the tech industry?
Beyond its focus on Big Tech, the memoir grapples with broader cultural issues surrounding modern labor. It questions the societal pressure to find our primary identity and purpose through our jobs, offering insights on how to reclaim power outside the workplace.