Michael Steinberger – författare

‘An excellent look at what Palantir does, as well as a fascinating insight into the mind of its eccentric chief executive’ TelegraphPalantir Technologies is the most interesting company in the world – and the most controversial. Palantir builds data integration software: its technology ingests vast quantities of information and quickly identifies patterns, trends and connections that might elude the human eye. Founded in 2003 to help the U.S. government in the war on terrorism – an early investor was the CIA – Palantir is now a $400 billion global colossus whose software is used by major intelligence services (including the Mossad), the U.S. military, the National Health Service in England, and corporate giants like Airbus and BP. From AI to counterterrorism to climate change to immigration to financial fraud to healthcare to the future of warfare, the company is at the nexus of the most critical issues of the twenty-first century. Its billionaire CEO, Alex Karp, is a distinctive 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’s a trained philosopher who has become known for his strongly held views on a range of issues and for his willingness to grapple with the moral and ethical implications of Palantir’s work. Those questions have taken on added urgency during the Trump era, which has also brought attention to the political activism of Karp’s close friend and Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel. In The Philosopher in the Valley, journalist Michael Steinberger is the first to tell the story of Alex Karp and Palantir from the beginning. Steinberger offers new biographical details and a rich psychological portrait of the man leading one of the world’s most secretive companies. Full of revelations, this is an urgent and insightful book about technological power, the surveillance state and the future we all face.

An acclaimed New York Times Magazine writer brings us into the world of the controversial technology firm Palantir and its very colorful and outspoken CEO, Alex Karp, tracing the ascent of Big Data, the rise of surveillance technology, and the shifting global balance of power in the 21st century.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.

Today’s dynamic wine culture calls for a different kind of wine book. The Wine Savant is just that: punchy, polemical, and brimming with insights to educate and entertain beginning wine drinkers and seasoned oenophiles alike.Never has the wine world had so much to offer, and never have smart decisions about value, quality, grape, and season been so difficult to make. In The Wine Savant, Michael Steinberger tramps through the world of contemporary wine—from three-buck Chuck and bucket-list Bordeaux to bottle speculators and biodynamic wineries—to give the inside scoop on the key concerns facing the new generation of wine lovers:• Why is California suddenly cool again?• What’s really the difference between a 95-point wine and a 94-point wine?• Why is Burgundy ascendant and Bordeaux suddenly so passé?• What’s a biodynamic wine, what’s a natural wine, and should you care?• Do food and wine pairings still matter?Featuring expert buying guides—including the New Kings of California and the World’s Great $25-and-Under Bottles—and tips on tough-to-pair cuisines like Indian and Japanese, The Wine Savant is the perfect guide to today’s often-bewildering realm of choice: ferociously opinionated and committed body and soul to enjoying every glass.

France is in a rut, and so is French cuisine. Twenty-five years ago it was hard to have a bad meal in France; now, in some cities and towns, it is a challenge to find even a decent baguette. For the first time in the annals of modern cuisine, the most influential chefs and the most talked-about restaurants are not French. Large segments of the French wine industry are in crisis, cherished artisanal cheeses are threatened with extinction, and bistros and brasseries are disappearing at an alarming rate. But business is brisk at some establishments: France has become the second most-profitable market in the world for McDonald's. In this sharp, funny and passionate book, Michael Steinberger looks at the problems of French cuisine in the context of the political, economic and social crises that beset the nation and asks, How did this happen? And what is being done to reverse France's slide?

‘An excellent look at what Palantir does, as well as a fascinating insight into the mind of its eccentric chief executive’ TelegraphPalantir Technologies is the most interesting company in the world – and the most controversial. Palantir builds data integration software: its technology ingests vast quantities of information and quickly identifies patterns, trends and connections that might elude the human eye. Founded in 2003 to help the U.S. government in the war on terrorism – an early investor was the CIA – Palantir is now a $400 billion global colossus whose software is used by major intelligence services (including the Mossad), the U.S. military, the National Health Service in England, and corporate giants like Airbus and BP. From AI to counterterrorism to climate change to immigration to financial fraud to healthcare to the future of warfare, the company is at the nexus of the most critical issues of the twenty-first century. Its billionaire CEO, Alex Karp, is a distinctive 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’s a trained philosopher who has become known for his strongly held views on a range of issues and for his willingness to grapple with the moral and ethical implications of Palantir’s work. Those questions have taken on added urgency during the Trump era, which has also brought attention to the political activism of Karp’s close friend and Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel. In The Philosopher in the Valley, journalist Michael Steinberger is the first to tell the story of Alex Karp and Palantir from the beginning. Steinberger offers new biographical details and a rich psychological portrait of the man leading one of the world’s most secretive companies. Full of revelations, this is an urgent and insightful book about technological power, the surveillance state and the future we all face.

In the age of big data, no company embodies its promise and its perils more than Palantir. This software firm sells some of the most powerful and dangerous technology in the world, ingesting huge quantities of data and spotting patterns, trends, and connections that would likely elude most people. Apart from Facebook, you’d be hard-pressed to find another tech company that’s making as big of a splash – or fraught with more potential pitfalls. Founded in 2003 to help the US government in the war on terror, Palantir now has more than thirty federal agencies as clients. From climate change and terrorism to poverty to immigration, money laundering, and the future of warfare, Palantir is at the nexus of the most critical issues of the 21st century. At its helm is cofounder and CEO Alex Karp, an atypical tech boss with a law degree from Stanford and a doctorate in social theory from Germany’s Goethe University, yet no background in either computer science or business. Now, in The Philosopher in the Valley, journalist Michael Steinberger delves deeply into Karp and the company he’s leading, highlighting the risks to privacy and civil liberties that come with big data. Can we get the good without the bad and if not, what are the trade-offs? Karp’s unique political and philosophical views put him and the company at odds with fellow cofounder Peter Thiel, a big supporter of Donald Trump in Silicon Valley. The technology they created has the potential to shape the global power dynamic and the way individuals interact with governments. Urgent and important, this illuminating work shows us what this future might look like.

‘An excellent look at what Palantir does, as well as a fascinating insight into the mind of its eccentric chief executive’ TelegraphPalantir Technologies is the most interesting company in the world – and the most controversial. Palantir builds data integration software: its technology ingests vast quantities of information and quickly identifies patterns, trends and connections that might elude the human eye. Founded in 2003 to help the U.S. government in the war on terrorism – an early investor was the CIA – Palantir is now a $400 billion global colossus whose software is used by major intelligence services (including the Mossad), the U.S. military, the National Health Service in England, and corporate giants like Airbus and BP. From AI to counterterrorism to climate change to immigration to financial fraud to healthcare to the future of warfare, the company is at the nexus of the most critical issues of the twenty-first century. Its billionaire CEO, Alex Karp, is a distinctive 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’s a trained philosopher who has become known for his strongly held views on a range of issues and for his willingness to grapple with the moral and ethical implications of Palantir’s work. Those questions have taken on added urgency during the Trump era, which has also brought attention to the political activism of Karp’s close friend and Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel. In The Philosopher in the Valley, journalist Michael Steinberger is the first to tell the story of Alex Karp and Palantir from the beginning. Steinberger offers new biographical details and a rich psychological portrait of the man leading one of the world’s most secretive companies. Full of revelations, this is an urgent and insightful book about technological power, the surveillance state and the future we all face.

Au Revoir to All That takes us on an entertaining and intriguing journey into France''s identity, directly through the tastebuds... Offering a fresh and entertaining approach to understanding French history, through its food and wine, Steinberger reveals a radically changing France; a country moving through social and political reform, economic crises and, importantly, the loss of their seemingly unbreakable dominance in all things gastronomical. If the state of France''s celebrated cuisine is the bellwether for the state of the nation, things are looking bleak. Top chefs are renouncing their Michelin stars and prized farmhouse cheeses are going extinct because there is no one to make them. Bistros, brasseries and cafés fold by the scores and hypermarkets and superstores account for 75% of retail food sales. The famed wine-producing Languedoc is home to the world''s first wine-terrorist organization - winemakers resorting to violence to protect their struggling industry. But while there may be better baguettes in Tokyo than in Paris, and Spain has become the darling of the gastronomic world, there are glimpses of hope. There are up-and-coming culinary stars and outdoor food festivals, pockets of exuberance amid the gloom. And, as long as a praline millefeuille can be celebrated, savoured and allowed to assume talismanic qualities at a Right Bank tea salon, all is not lost. Au Revoir to All That is an essential - almost edible - book for lovers of food, France and culinary history.

An acclaimed New York Times Magazine writer brings us into the world of the controversial technology firm Palantir and its very colorful and outspoken CEO, Alex Karp, tracing the ascent of Big Data, the rise of surveillance technology, and the shifting global balance of power in the 21st century.Palantir builds data integration software: its technology ingests vast quantities of information and quickly identifies patterns, trends, and connections that might elude the human eye. Founded in 2003 to help the US government in the war on terrorisman early investor was the CIAPalantir is now a $400 billion global colossus whose software is used by major intelligence services (including the Mossad), the US military, dozens of federal agencies, and corporate giants like Airbus and BP. From AI to counterterrorism to climate change to immigration to financial fraud to the future of warfare, the company is at the nexus of the most critical issues of the 21st century. Its CEO, Alex Karp, is a distinctive 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, hes a trained philosopher who has become known for his strongly held views on a range of issues and for his willingness to grapple with the moral and ethical implications of Palantirs work. Those questions have taken on added urgency during the Trump era, which has also brought attention to the political activism of Karps close friend and Palantir cofounder Peter Thiel. In The Philosopher in the Valley, journalist Michael Steinberger explores the world of Alex Karp, Palantir, and the future that they are leading us toward. It is an urgent and illuminating work about one of Silicon Valleys most secretive and powerful companies, whose technology is at the leading edge of the surveillance state.