{"product_id":"metaphysical-millionaires-a-guide-to-enlightened-manifestation-by-r-j-purcell","title":"Metaphysical Millionaires by R.J. Purcell","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"product-description-container\" style=\"font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.6; color: #111111; max-width: 800px; margin: auto;\"\u003e\n    \u003ch2 style=\"color: #8b0000; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 1px;\"\u003eThe Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power\u003c\/h2\u003e\n    \u003ch3 style=\"color: #333333; border-bottom: 2px solid #8b0000; padding-bottom: 10px;\"\u003eby Max Chafkin\u003c\/h3\u003e\n    \n    \u003cp style=\"font-style: italic; color: #555555; font-size: 1.1em; margin: 20px 0;\"\u003e\"An incisive portrait of a tech industry whose explosive growth and power is both thrilling and fraught with controversy.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n    \u003cdiv style=\"background-color: #fcf4f4; border-left: 5px solid #8b0000; padding: 15px; margin-bottom: 25px; box-shadow: 2px 2px 5px rgba(0,0,0,0.05);\"\u003e\n        \u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-weight: bold; color: #5a0000;\"\u003e💼 BIOGRAPHY | TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP | POLITICAL HISTORY\u003c\/p\u003e\n        \u003cp style=\"margin: 5px 0 0 0; font-size: 0.95em;\"\u003eEssential reading for those tracking the intersection of Silicon Valley technology, venture capital, and modern political influence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n    \u003csection\u003e\n        \u003ch4 style=\"color: #8b0000; text-transform: uppercase;\"\u003eExtended Synopsis\u003c\/h4\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003eSince the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s, Peter Thiel has been a behind-the-scenes operator shaping the trajectory of Silicon Valley and global technology. In \u003cem\u003eThe Contrarian\u003c\/em\u003e, Max Chafkin delivers the first major biography of this enigmatic billionaire venture capitalist. The book traces Thiel's singular life from his upbringing as the child of immigrant parents and his years at Stanford as a conservative thought leader, through his foundational roles at PayPal and Palantir, to his early investments in Facebook and SpaceX.\u003c\/p\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003eChafkin rigorously details Thiel's relationships with tech titans like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, while illuminating his extensive efforts to export his values into Washington politics. From funding the lawsuit that destroyed Gawker to his backing of far-right political candidates, this deeply reported narrative exposes the delicate power balance between Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and the broader American political landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/section\u003e\n\n    \u003cdiv style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; padding: 20px; border-radius: 5px; margin: 25px 0; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n        \u003ch4 style=\"margin-top: 0; color: #8b0000; text-transform: uppercase;\"\u003eAccolades \u0026amp; Awards\u003c\/h4\u003e\n        \u003cul style=\"margin-bottom: 15px;\"\u003e\n            \u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA New York Times Notable Book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n        \u003c\/ul\u003e\n        \u003cblockquote style=\"margin: 0 0 10px 0; font-style: italic;\"\u003e“Much more than a consistently shocking biography... It’s also a disturbing history of Silicon Valley that will make you reconsider the ideological foundations of America’s relentless engine of creative destruction.”\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n        \u003cp style=\"margin: 0 0 0 20px;\"\u003e— \u003cstrong\u003eBrad Stone, author of The Everything Store\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n    \u003cdiv style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; padding: 20px; border-radius: 5px; margin: 25px 0; border: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n        \u003ch4 style=\"margin-top: 0; color: #8b0000; text-transform: uppercase;\"\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/h4\u003e\n        \u003cp style=\"margin-bottom: 0;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMax Chafkin\u003c\/strong\u003e is an accomplished business journalist and author whose deeply reported work focuses on the dominant figures and underlying structures of the modern technology industry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n    \u003ch4 style=\"color: #8b0000; text-transform: uppercase;\"\u003eProduct Tables: Key Narrative Subjects\u003c\/h4\u003e\n    \u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 30px; font-size: 0.9em;\"\u003e\n        \u003cthead\u003e\n            \u003ctr style=\"background-color: #fcf4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid #8b0000;\"\u003e\n                \u003cth style=\"padding: 10px; text-align: left;\"\u003eIndustry \/ Sector\u003c\/th\u003e\n                \u003cth style=\"padding: 10px; text-align: left;\"\u003eThiel's Involvement Analyzed\u003c\/th\u003e\n            \u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003c\/thead\u003e\n        \u003ctbody\u003e\n            \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eVenture Capital\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFounding of PayPal and Palantir; early investments in Facebook and SpaceX.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n            \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMedia Dynamics\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFunding the litigation that ultimately bankrupted Gawker Media.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n            \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePolitical Influence\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBacking political campaigns and exporting Valley values to Washington.\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003c\/tbody\u003e\n    \u003c\/table\u003e\n\n    \u003ch4 style=\"color: #8b0000; text-transform: uppercase;\"\u003eTechnical Specifications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n    \u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 30px; font-size: 0.95em;\"\u003e\n        \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; font-weight: bold; width: 30%;\"\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px;\"\u003e9781984878533\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; font-weight: bold;\"\u003eFormat\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px;\"\u003eHardcover\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n        \u003ctr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px; font-weight: bold;\"\u003ePublisher\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding: 10px;\"\u003ePenguin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003c\/table\u003e\n\n    \u003cdiv style=\"text-align: center; margin-top: 40px; padding: 20px; border-top: 1px solid #eee; font-size: 0.9em;\"\u003e\n        \u003cp style=\"margin: 0; font-weight: bold;\"\u003eBust-Down Books: Best in the West Financial Literature\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n    \u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n    {\n      \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/\",\n      \"@type\": \"Book\",\n      \"name\": \"The Contrarian: Peter Thiel and Silicon Valley's Pursuit of Power\",\n      \"author\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Person\",\n        \"name\": \"Max Chafkin\"\n      },\n      \"isbn\": \"9781984878533\",\n      \"bookFormat\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\/Hardcover\",\n      \"publisher\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n        \"name\": \"Penguin\"\n      },\n      \"offers\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Offer\",\n        \"price\": \"20.99\",\n        \"priceCurrency\": \"USD\"\n      }\n    }\n    \u003c\/script\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"BUST-DOWN BOOKS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50504822980923,"sku":"1777276314","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0855\/2077\/7531\/files\/9781777276317.jpg?v=1777431774","url":"https:\/\/bustdownbooks.com\/products\/metaphysical-millionaires-a-guide-to-enlightened-manifestation-by-r-j-purcell","provider":"Bust-Down Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}