(4.5 / 5) A thrilling, in-depth expose on the multi billion dollar tech start up Theranos. I had heard bits and pieces of this story when Theranos was initially outed but I was blown away by this thorough examination of the deception, secrecy, and manipulation that built a silicon valley tech company valued at its peak at 10 billion dollars. Days after finishing I still cannot stop talking about this book and I recommend it across the board to anyone and everyone. So if you haven’t read this one yet, bump it to the top of your list. I mostly listened to the audio version of Bad Blood and the narration is excellent; high praise coming from someone who is very selective about audio books.
Bad Blood exposes Theranos and its founder Stanford drop out Elizabeth Holmes for fraud after a decade long scam and deceit to employees, investors, board directors, marketers, FDA officials, doctors, and patients. The technology Holmes had “developed” was revolutionary, it was not only going to change healthcare, it was going to change the world. By the simple prick of a finger and using only one drop of blood Theranos claimed to be able to run more than 200 blood tests. This would eliminate the need for inter-venous blood draws which ruined veins and forced the patient to submit to painful procedures. It would also submit almost instantaneous results to physicians who could immediately alter medication doses and subsequently eliminate adverse reactions to medications, in some cases saving lives. Sound too good to be true? Throw in some family drama, a forbidden and dysfunctional relationship, and an investigative journalist determined to get to the truth and you have yourself a page turner.
John Carreyrou, the author of Bad Blood, was the Wall Street Journalist who initially broke the story on Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. He writes passionately but patiently as the story builds and gains momentum. His research is so thorough that by the halfway point I was bursting with impatience waiting for the fall to come. Once it did, there was not one surface of my house that wasn’t clean, no bathroom left un-scoured, not one sock left to fold. The audio book got me through car pool pick up and work outs on the treadmill. I was even motivated enough to hunt down my waterproof bluetooth speaker so I could listen in the shower.
This is non-fiction at its finest. It will captivate and and entreat you. I suspect that even the harshest non-fiction critic will be pulled in to this factual tangle of lies.
Violence: Low Language: Moderate Adult Content: Low