Overview
No company embodies the promise and perils of Big Data more than Palantir. Cofounded by Peter Thiel and Alex Karp in 2003 to help the US government in the war on terrorism—an early investor was the CIA—Palantir builds software that ingests vast quantities of data and rapidly identifies patterns, trends, and connections that might elude the human eye. It is now a $40 billion global colossus whose technology is used by the CIA and the Mossad, by every branch of the US military, by dozens of federal agencies, and by major international corporations like Airbus and British Petroleum. Its software has played a critical war in the war in Ukraine and is now at the vanguard of the AI revolution. From terrorism to climate change to immigration to pandemic response to the future of warfare, Palantir is at the nexus of the most critical issues of the 21st century.
The company’s CEO, Alex Karp, is perhaps the most distinctive and charismatic figure on the global business scene. A biracial Jew who is also severely dyslexic, Karp has built Palantir into a tech giant despite having no background in either business or computer science. Instead, he holds a law degree from Stanford and a doctorate in social theory from Germany’s Goethe University. But it is not just his training in the humanities that makes Karp a rarity among Silicon Valley billionaires; in contrast to the techno utopianism of many of his peers, Karp is willing to candidly grapple with the moral and ethical implications of his company’s work—questions made more urgent by the political activism of his close friend and cofounder Thiel, whose support for Donald Trump sewed deep mistrust of Palantir.
In The Philosopher in the Valley, journalist Michael Steinberger explores the world of Alex Karp and Palantir and the future that they are leading us towards. It is an urgent and illuminating work about one of Silicon Valley’s most secretive and powerful companies, whose technology is the leading edge of the surveillance state.
While major retailers like Amazon may carry The Philosopher in the Valley (Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State), we specialize in bulk book sales and offer personalized service from our friendly, book-smart team based in Portland, Oregon. We’re proud to offer a Price Match Guarantee and a streamlined ordering experience from people who truly care.
We’re trusted by over 75,000 customers, many of whom return time and again. Want proof? Just check out our 25,000+ customer reviews—real feedback from people who love how we do business.
Prefer to talk to a real person? Our Book Specialists are here Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PST and ready to help with your bulk order of The Philosopher in the Valley (Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State).