Bad Blood
2018
- business
- technology
- nonfiction
- business & economics
- entrepreneurship
- finance
- technology & engineering
- biomedical
- theranos
- history
The story
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup is a nonfiction book by journalist John Carreyrou, released May 21, 2018. It covers the rise and fall of Theranos, the multibillion-dollar biotech startup headed by Elizabeth Holmes. The book received critical acclaim, winning the 2018 Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award.
What it’s like
Crisp, investigative prose that reads like a tightly edited newspaper serial: scene-setting in fluorescent-lit labs and boardroom conference rooms, clipped sentences, and a steady accumulation of documents, emails, and interview fragments. The voice is plain-spoken and dryly observant, with occasional flashes of suspense as one lie leads to the next and the reader senses a trap closing. Its sensory world is institutional and unglamorous (beige offices, lab benches, the hum of machines that do not work), which gives the unease a cold, sun-bleached quality rather than a thrilling one. Pacing is brisk and chapter-driven, built around whistleblowers, reporters, and a company's stubborn denials, so it suits a long commute, a weekend read, or a late night with a cup of tea. The emotional register is indignant and wry, with genuine tension about people who got hurt and sympathy for the employees who spoke up at personal risk. Intensity is low: no violence or gore, only mild profanity and occasional mentions of harm to patients and of litigation. It is best for readers who enjoy business thrillers, true-crime-style reporting, and stories about ambition gone wrong.
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