The Age of Surveillance Capitalism
The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power
by Shoshana Zuboff
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More Recommenders
“#Books2021 the Age of Surveillance Capitalism is a gripping read. i am both reading, and listening to the audible version. much recommended | Brave New World Thanks @shoshanazuboff for that amazing book. It's compulsory reading for those trying to make sense of our world now. | Dives into the largest act of capitalist colonisation ever attempted the colonisation of our minds, our behaviour, our free will, our very selves. | It?s pub date for Shoshana Zuboff?s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. To call it ?an important book? is gross understatement. I suspect that 20 years from now this book will join the likes of The Wealth of Nations on the alltime classics list.”
Source →“#Books2021 the Age of Surveillance Capitalism is a gripping read. i am both reading, and listening to the audible version. much recommended | Brave New World Thanks @shoshanazuboff for that amazing book. It's compulsory reading for those trying to make sense of our world now. | Dives into the largest act of capitalist colonisation ever attempted the colonisation of our minds, our behaviour, our free will, our very selves. | It?s pub date for Shoshana Zuboff?s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. To call it ?an important book? is gross understatement. I suspect that 20 years from now this book will join the likes of The Wealth of Nations on the alltime classics list.”
Source →“#Books2021 the Age of Surveillance Capitalism is a gripping read. i am both reading, and listening to the audible version. much recommended | Brave New World Thanks @shoshanazuboff for that amazing book. It's compulsory reading for those trying to make sense of our world now. | Dives into the largest act of capitalist colonisation ever attempted the colonisation of our minds, our behaviour, our free will, our very selves. | It?s pub date for Shoshana Zuboff?s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. To call it ?an important book? is gross understatement. I suspect that 20 years from now this book will join the likes of The Wealth of Nations on the alltime classics list.”
Source →“#Books2021 the Age of Surveillance Capitalism is a gripping read. i am both reading, and listening to the audible version. much recommended | Brave New World Thanks @shoshanazuboff for that amazing book. It's compulsory reading for those trying to make sense of our world now. | Dives into the largest act of capitalist colonisation ever attempted the colonisation of our minds, our behaviour, our free will, our very selves. | It?s pub date for Shoshana Zuboff?s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. To call it ?an important book? is gross understatement. I suspect that 20 years from now this book will join the likes of The Wealth of Nations on the alltime classics list.”
Source →“#Books2021 the Age of Surveillance Capitalism is a gripping read. i am both reading, and listening to the audible version. much recommended | Brave New World Thanks @shoshanazuboff for that amazing book. It's compulsory reading for those trying to make sense of our world now. | Dives into the largest act of capitalist colonisation ever attempted the colonisation of our minds, our behaviour, our free will, our very selves. | It?s pub date for Shoshana Zuboff?s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. To call it ?an important book? is gross understatement. I suspect that 20 years from now this book will join the likes of The Wealth of Nations on the alltime classics list.”
Source →Recommended by 7 notable people, including Barack Obama and Vinod Khosla
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Reading Profile
Should I read this?
Zuboff builds a broad, argument-driven account of surveillance capitalism: tracing how firms collect behavioral data, turn it into prediction products, and shape markets and public life. The writing introduces a specific vocabulary and many cross-cutting examples that make the scale of the practice tangible. Strengths lie in its depth of cases and an urgent moral frame; limits are a dense, repetitive prose style and few concrete, ready-to-apply policy solutions. Best read with patience and attention rather than as a quick primer.
Read this if...
- •a municipal privacy policy analyst drafting local data-use rules who needs language and examples to justify tougher regulation in council debates
- •a sociology or political-economy graduate student framing a thesis on digital markets who needs historical background and extensive illustrative cases to situate an argument
- •a product manager or compliance lead at a large tech firm preparing for an internal ethics review who wants a sustained critical case to bring to executive discussions
Skip this if...
- •you'll likely put it down when the same themes—data extraction, prediction, and corporate intent—are restated across long chapters; that mid-book repetition is the biggest pacing hurdle
- •annoying if you prefer neutral, lightly sourced overviews rather than a polemical, occasionally moralizing academic voice
- •frustrating if you wanted hands-on policies, checklists, or step-by-step remedies—this leans heavy on diagnosis and lacks hands-on exercises or ready-to-implement solutions
The challenges to humanity posed by the digital future, the first detailed examination of the unprecedented form of power called "surveillance capitalism," and the quest by powerful corporations to predict and control our behavior.In this masterwork of original thinking and research, Shoshana Zuboff provides startling insights into the phenomenon t...
Before You Buy
Reading Specifications
Difficulty:hard
Audience Fit
- a municipal privacy policy analyst drafting local data-use rules who needs language and examples to justify tougher regulation in council debates
- a sociology or political-economy graduate student framing a thesis on digital markets who needs historical background and extensive illustrative cases to situate an argument
- a product manager or compliance lead at a large tech firm preparing for an internal ethics review who wants a sustained critical case to bring to executive discussions
- you'll likely put it down when the same themes—data extraction, prediction, and corporate intent—are restated across long chapters; that mid-book repetition is the biggest pacing hurdle
- annoying if you prefer neutral, lightly sourced overviews rather than a polemical, occasionally moralizing academic voice
- frustrating if you wanted hands-on policies, checklists, or step-by-step remedies—this leans heavy on diagnosis and lacks hands-on exercises or ready-to-implement solutions
Check formats, pricing, and availability options for Kindle, physical print, or audiobooks directly.
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Why recommended
Recommended by 9 sources and appears in Capitalism, Capitalism, and Sociology.
Recommended by notable people
People and public figures who have recommended this book.
Recommendation Signals
Recommendation proof is sourced from public posts, interviews, reading lists, and cited references.
Dilip Cherian
“#Books2021 the Age of Surveillance Capitalism is a gripping read. i am both reading, and listening to the audible version. much recommended | Brave New World Thanks @shoshanazuboff for that amazing book. It's compulsory reading for those trying to make sense of our world now. | Dives into the largest act of capitalist colonisation ever attempted the colonisation of our minds, our behaviour, our free will, our very selves. | It?s pub date for Shoshana Zuboff?s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. To call it ?an important book? is gross understatement. I suspect that 20 years from now this book will join the likes of The Wealth of Nations on the alltime classics list.”
View sources (4) ▾80%
Appears In
Not sure if this is the right fit?
Consider Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Recommended by 31 sources.
“Outliers reads like a series of captivating magazine profiles, each unpacking a hidden factor behind extraordinary success. Gladwell’s storytelling makes complex social science accessible, but the book relies on memorable anecdotes rather than offering systematic analysis. The book explores the idea that individual brilliance rarely stands alone; success often hinges on birth dates, cultural legacies, and the 10,000-hour rule. While the narratives are strong, the book overgeneralizes from handpicked examples, leaving skeptical readers questioning the conclusions. It’s most useful as a conversation starter about luck and timing—annoying if you want a rigorous academic treatise or a how-to guide for your own life.”
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Each recommendation is collected from a public source — interviews, articles, or curated lists — and linked to its original URL. Books with many verifiable recommendations from respected people rank higher.