The Contrarian
by Max Chafkin
A critical biography of Peter Thiel: Stanford, PayPal, Facebook, Palantir, politics and the Gawker campaign. Chafkin is skeptical throughout; it is the counterweight to Zero to One's self-portrait.
Read it if…
you have read Zero to One and want the man examined from outside.
See the book →
Skip it if…
you want a sympathetic portrait.
Try instead: Super Founders →
Three things you will actually use
- Contrarianism is a strategy, not a virtue.
- Power accumulates quietly.
- Read critics of the people you admire.
Do this first
Read it alongside Zero to One and note where the philosophy and the conduct part.
Our verdict
The skeptical counterweight.
See the book →
Compare with other Entrepreneurship books
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Alistair Croll and Benjamin Yoskovitz · Entrepreneurship
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