succulent sticks Pencil Cactus
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succulent sticks

succulent sticks Pencil Cactus

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Description

succulent sticks Pencil CactusIntroducing the Pencil Cactus, botanically known as Euphorbia tirucalli Fire Sticks (also called Sticks on Fire), a striking succulent prized for its sea coral like appearance and vibrant, loosely branching pencil thin stems that develop brilliant shades of green, orange, and red. Native to Southern Africa, this unique succulent belongs to the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family, not the cactus family (Cactaceae), though it is commonly referred to as Pencil

Introducing the Pencil Cactus, botanically known as Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Fire Sticks’ (also called Sticks on Fire), a striking succulent prized for its sea coral-like appearance and vibrant, loosely branching pencil-thin stems that develop brilliant shades of green, orange, and red.

Native to Southern Africa, this unique succulent belongs to the Euphorbiaceae (spurge) family, not the cactus family (Cactaceae), though it is commonly referred to as “Pencil Cactus” because of its cactus-like form and upright growth habit. It is also known by several other common names, including fire sticks plant, sticks on fire succulent, fire plant, red pencil tree, milk bush, and Euphorbia tirucalli ‘Rosea’.


When exposed to direct sunlight, the tips turn red, which is why they are also called firesticks.

This fast growing evergreen succulent can grow up to 30 feet tall and 10 feet wide, forming a thicket of brilliantly colored vertical stems with loose branches.

The unusual stems of this firestick plant, which are as thin as pencils, have a reddish-golden hue that becomes yellow in the summer and red again in the winter.

The pencil cactus flowers boast vibrant yellow, pink, or orange blooms in the summer and spring, making them a true showstopper in any garden.

The pencil cactus is extremely drought tolerant and hard to kill, and as a result, is a great, low-maintenance, easy-care plant for your home or garden.

You can grow your pencil cactus indoors year-round as a houseplant. If planting outdoors, it's best to do so in the spring when temperatures are warm and stable. This cactus grows faster than many other cacti, making it a striking addition to your garden or home.

If you cut your pencil cactus, be careful—the thick, white sap is toxic and can cause skin irritation, burns, or severe eye irritation if it gets into your eyes. While highly irritating, some cultures have historically used it in traditional medicine for treating growths like warts and tumors, though it is not safe for home remedies. Always wear gloves when handling the plant and wash your hands thoroughly if you come into contact with the sap.

When and How to Water Your Pencil Cactus 

This pencil cactus firestick plant can withstand droughts and doesn't need to be watered frequently to survive. Watering these perennial succulents should be done every 3–4 weeks or when the soil feels dry. Let the soil completely dry out between waterings, and if in doubt, give your fire plant a little more time before watering again.  Less water is needed for humid locations and indoor spaces. Pay attention to how the pencil cactus looks and adjust the watering accordingly.

Remember that succulents in the desert can go for weeks or even months without water, so water them sparingly during their rest phase and moderately during their active growing season.

Pro Tip

Most people like to see the red tips that give this Euphorbia tirucalli its firestick name. Note that it is stress that causes the tips to go red. So, the art is to stress the firestick plant a bit, but not too much. So, give it a lot of light and water it less than other succulents, so it is thirsty but not dying of thirst.

Overwatering can also cause the Euphorbia tirucalli 'Firesticks' tips to turn red, but it can also lead to root rot and other problems. So, if your pencil cactus is not turning red in full sun, it's possible that it's not experiencing enough stress to produce the anthocyanin pigments or that it's receiving too much water.

Light Requirements - Where to Place Your Pencil Cactus 

Like most succulents, indoors, the Euphorbia tirucalli firesticks need bright, indirect sunlight to thrive, so choose the brightest area in the house.

Potted indoor pencil cacti require four hours of direct sunlight, which can be achieved by locating them on a sunny south or west-facing windowsill. 

If you are growing these firestick succulents outdoors, make sure that they receive at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.

Partial shade may be tolerated as long as your pencil cactus gets the majority of the sunlight that it needs when it's planted outside. This succulent plant won't thrive if left in the shade for a long time. Its colors become more vibrant the more sunlight it receives.

In order to avoid sunburn, it is preferable to acclimatize your pencil cactus first before moving it outdoors or increasing the amount of sunlight it receives.

Optimal Soil & Fertilizer Needs 

The firestick Euphorbia is a succulent plant that likes very airy, porous, nutrient-rich soil with a pH of 5.5–6.5. Succulents require fast-draining soil that dries completely between waterings. Ideally, you want to use our specialized potting mixGo to soil cactus mix blend 1 gal 4 qt cacti succulent dirt compost growing media that contains 5 natural substrates and organic mycorrhizae to promote the development of a strong root system that helps your Euphorbia firesticks Pencil Cactus to thrive. 

When it comes to fertilizing your pencil cactus plant, it only needs a small amount of fertilizer applied once a year in spring. Cacti prefer a fertilizer with lower doses of NPK, with a maximum ratio of 5-10-5 that is higher in phosphorus than nitrogen.

Hardiness Zones & More 

When growing indoors as a houseplant, the Euphorbia firestick can tolerate temperatures between 65 °F and 75 °F. Your Euphorbia firestick plant performs well in temperatures above 30 °F. However, it can withstand temperatures below that, but only for short periods of time.

In the United States, the Euphorbia tirucalli is mostly an indoor plant, but if you live in southern Florida or Hawaii then you can cultivate it outdoors in USDA zones 10 -11.

Growing these pencil cacti in containers is the best option if you live in an area with harsh winters.

By doing this, you can bring your Pencil Cactus indoors during the winter or any time there's a chance of frost or snow. Normal house humidity is fine for this Euphorbia, but it prefers dry conditions. 

Wildlife - Euphorbia tirucalli Attracts the Following Friendly Pollinators

The Euphorbia tirucalli flowers attract a variety of pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, with their bright colors and sweet nectar. These pollinators play a crucial role in the ecosystem by helping to fertilize plants and promote biodiversity.

Butterflies
Bees
Hummingbirds
Lady Bugs
Multi Pollinators
Other Birds

According to ASPCA, the Euphorbia tirucalli 'Firesticks' is mildly toxic to humans and pets. It can irritate the skin, eyes, and gastrointestinal tract. However, it is safe to touch as long as precautions are taken to avoid contact with the sap. Wear gloves when handling this plant to prevent any potential skin irritation.

How to Propagate Your Pencil Cactus

When it comes to pencil cactus propagation, one common method is through stem cuttings. Simply take a cutting from a healthy pencil cactus, let it dry for a few days, and then place it in well-draining soil. Another method is through division, where you carefully separate the offsets or side shoots from the main plant and plant them individually.

Key Takeaways

  1. The stems of firesticks are as thin as pencils (hence the name) and turn a fire-red in the winter.
  2. Euphorbia Firesticks is a stunning variety that changes color with the seasons, turning bright red or orange tips in cooler temperatures or full sun.
  3. This succulent has a rapid growth rate, reaching up to 30 feet tall when grown outdoors, with a branching, upright form.
  4. During the spring and summer, the yellow flowers bloom in clusters on the end of the branch, usually for just a few days.

The Bottom Line

Overall, the pencil cactus (Euphorbia Firesticks) is a unique and striking succulent plant that adds a touch of elegance to any space. With its slender, pencil-like stems and vibrant green color, this sticks-on-fire cactus can truly be a showstopper. However, it's important to remember that the pencil cactus is not a true cactus but rather a succulent. It requires minimal care, preferring bright light and well-draining soil. By providing proper pencil cactus care, you'll have a beautiful and unique Euphorbia firestick plant that will thrive for years to come. 

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Timothy Bumpus
Houston, US
★★★★★ 2
Good, but only for complete beginners who haven’t seen the tutorials on the Godot website
Format: Kindle
Skippable with free tutorials found on the web both from official and unofficial resources. A good starting block for those who are completely new to the concept and want to get started with Godot.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2023
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L. Schmiesing
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 5
Superbly written, relatable, important, and humanistic
Format: Hardcover
I purchased the hardback of this book when I heard that Meta was trying to block its publication. And I’m so glad I did. The book was a jaw-dropping, gripping read that held me in a trance. It’s my understanding that the legal efforts on Meta’s part to have the book blocked have only made it more popular. After reading the book, I’m not surprised. Meta is run by short-sighted, narcissistic, and self-important people who often act like idiot toddlers. Mine. Mine. Gimme. Gimme. Cake. More. More. Once I received the book, I was reluctant to dive in, thinking it would be a challenging read with technology and boring stuff, but I was wrong with that assessment. The book is superbly written, relatable, and humanistic, and made me proud of Sarah for her bravery in becoming a whistleblower. A New Zealand native, Sarah is a lawyer who worked as a diplomat for the United Nations before doggedly selling herself on the staff at Facebook for a job within the organization that she felt could better the world. After working in the upper stratosphere echelons of Facebook for around six years, she has the receipts to prove that the dream of what it could be, became a nightmare. She lays the groundwork for her assertions against Facebook/Meta building her credibility with the reader as she starts from her youth and before the hire. Eventually becoming an intricate player within the Facebook organization, she is a brilliantly smart person (and writer), and she struggles with the culture and personalities of the privileged and out-of-touch leadership who carelessly treat her not as a person, but as a tool. She is often in physical danger too! I was shocked at how often the top leadership - Mark, other top execs, and Sheryl Sandberg - could have cared less about Sarah’s pain, pressure, obstacles, and danger. Not to mention their ignoring Sarah’s wisdom and advice. I’d heard of Sheryl Sandberg – she of the hot book – Lean In. As Oprah and CEOs and other high flyers applauded Sheryl’s awesomeness and her book, I recall at the time feeling intrigued, but super skeptical. See me giving a side eye to the situation and rejecting being given life coaching by a billionaire. It turns out my instincts were right. It’s easier to lean in when you have a staff of nannies, maids, cooks, toadies, and private jets. But she expects everyone to be just as work-driven and productive as her. If you’ve seen the great show Succession – think of the personal assistants portrayed on that show. Their job is to just do – never question – no matter how stupid the task or how impossible the ask. (Do you remember the scene on funeral day when Kendall Roy asks his fast-walking-in-heels personal assistant why she has a meeting scheduled with him and she says in a nervous sing-song – oh, we can talk about it then. He stops walking and presses her for an answer on the spot and she softballs intimating that she is thinking about making a change – and he’s pissed and says like thanks a lot for bringing this up today, my father just died. But she didn’t – he did…. Whatever. You cannot win). Another example. Think Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada asking for the yet-unpublished Harry Potter books to be delivered to her children that the same day. There is a story in Sarah’s book where while traveling in Mexico with the top execs, she gets a frantic call from her husband – there is a horrible situation going on at home in Manhattan with their nanny and the baby (for spoilers – I won’t tell you what was happening but it’s scary as heck). Sarah, trapped and traveling in a car, relays or shares the story about the in-real-time event, because . . . how could you not! Later, in her review, she is told that it was inappropriate for her to talk about her personal life and to basically keep her mouth shut and focus on the job. Lean in and keep your mothering and baby problems to yourself! And part of the problem with all this is that Sarah is not even an “assistant” – she is part of the team. But she is often treated like a body. Another time in a review they said she was ‘difficult to reach’ during the review period and she had to remind them that she was in an actual coma in the hospital. Still – they thought it pertinent and left the negative content as a strike against her. I found the number of personal cruelties to Sarah abhorrent – but Sarah is not a whiner. No. She stayed because she believed in her work and the possible differences she (and presumably, hopefully? others) could make. But the world-changing greed on Facebook’s part to ignore moral and privacy issues, leverage people’s vulnerabilities, profit on the backs of victims, to control the flow of information, and have a pay-to-play mindset in working with an assortment of hate organizations, movements, and autocrats, and to take it further into doing whatever they want as long as they keep growing and gaining more users for their platforms changed everything. Meta is a world gobbler. A globe-stroking Golem who has Thanos power and it’s scarier than you know what. And Facebook had FACEBOOK employees embedded in the Trump campaign to assist them in maximizing the algorithms and giving them whatever tools and access that others didn’t receive. Millions of dollars were spent targeting and spreading the thousands of Trump messages . . . saying God knows what. (Eating cats and dogs?) Harness the press. Harness the information sent to the masses. Pay to ride. Own the world. I’m not sure how Sarah got away with publishing the book, but I applaud the publisher (and I’m assuming a team of lawyers) for going forward with the publication. Read it. Learn from it. I have. But now what do I do? I use Facebook and Instagram– I need to for my business. Don’t I? Maybe Facebook will decide for me after some creepy search retaliates against me for siding with Sarah and for this review. A second is all it takes for me to go bye bye for some infringement or for breaking some policy I’ll never get an answer for. God help us all.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2025
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Stephan Makatita
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 4
Careless People: Power, Marketing, and the (Absent) Moral Boundaries at Facebook
Format: Hardcover
Careless People: Power, Marketing, and the (Absent) Moral Boundaries at Facebook Sarah Wynne-Williams, former Director of Public Policy at Facebook, spent seven years at the company. In Careless People, she takes the reader behind the scenes of the world’s largest social media platform. A hopeful mission She shows how Facebook’s original idealistic mission, “to make the world more open and connected”, was quickly overshadowed by internal tensions, political interests, and ethical dilemmas. Wynne-Williams began her career in the public sector. Driven by a strong sense of civic duty, she was initially enthusiastic about Facebook’s mission, but soon grew disillusioned with how things worked behind closed doors. In her book, she describes how commercial interests and the drive for rapid growth consistently outweighed (positive) social impact. This fundamental tension runs throughout the book. Diplomacy, data, and dominance The book offers a rare, and at times revealing, glimpse into Facebook’s international strategy. Wynne-Williams describes how the company organized state visits, attempted to build diplomatic relationships, and how many of these efforts ended in awkward failure. Particularly notable is Facebook’s push to enter the Chinese market, including Mark Zuckerberg’s personal effort to learn Mandarin. Facebook’s leadership: no innocent bystanders Wynne-Williams doesn’t spare the company’s executive leadership. She paints a picture of a culture riddled with sexual misconduct, power plays, and rivalries. The workplace environment she describes, full of intrigue, temper outbursts, and a striking lack of psychological safety, stands in stark contrast to Facebook’s carefully cultivated public image. This insight is valuable not only for those following Facebook, but for anyone seeking to understand how power and growth shape company culture in the tech sector. Facebook as a PR machine One of the book’s core revelations is how Facebook began to operate less as a technology company and more as a PR machine. Initiatives like internet.org were presented as altruistic, but in practice were primarily aimed at market expansion. The company’s role in political campaigns, notably Donald Trump’s election, is sharply laid out. The book illustrates how thin the line is between innovation and manipulation when user data is leveraged at scale for political and commercial gain. Insightful, but not always credible Wynne-Williams’ personal tone makes the book engaging and accessible. Her commitment to the mission, and her growing frustration, are palpable. Yet her constant presence as narrator sometimes undermines the story’s credibility. Dramatic anecdotes, coincidental twists, and strong personal judgments occasionally create distance, especially when the subject matter demands nuance. That’s unfortunate, because the topics she raises, ethics, global power dynamics, and the impact on young users, deserve to speak for themselves. Lessons for the future What stays with the reader is how even the most powerful tech companies appear vulnerable when ideals clash with growth ambitions. The book shows how easily ethical boundaries blur when billions are at stake. For companies, policymakers, and marketers, it offers a confronting mirror: rapid growth and profit never come without moral cost. Final verdict Careless People is an accessible and insightful book that offers a unique perspective on the inner workings of Facebook and Big Tech. Despite stylistic shortcomings, a tendency toward dramatization, and a sometimes overly subjective voice, it’s a worthwhile read for anyone looking to understand the intersection of technology, power, and marketing. Personally, I found it especially compelling because I’ve taken the opposite path: from marketing and tech into public service. That gives me a unique appreciation of the tension Wynne-Williams describes, the ongoing conflict between social ideals and commercial imperatives. The book lacks objectivity at times, but it undeniably prompts reflection. And that alone makes it more than worth the read. Rating: 7.5
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Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2025
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Todd
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
How Facebook lost its conscience, and how the young man at its helm grew to love the taste of power
Format: Hardcover
A WORD ABOUT THIS PLATFORM THAT CONNECTS US Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams This riveting memoir about the maturation of Facebook is fascinating in large part because of the direct access the author had for over six years to the highest levels of leadership at the company. Its title comes from The Great Gatsby, where narrator Nick Carraway says, “They were careless people, Tom and Daisy — they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money.” A former New Zealand diplomat, Wynn-Williams had to pitch her own job to Facebook in 2011, as Zuckerberg and other senior leaders had no clue then about the role Facebook was destined to play in global politics. Rising to the position of Director of Global Public Policy, Wynn-Williams had a front-row seat to decisions that would irrevocably alter the political landscape in the US and around the world. Fast forward to the 2016 presidential election and the author’s account of how Facebook’s microtargeting of users, its allowance of misinformation on the site, and its assignment of staff to work hand in glove with the Trump campaign as they utilized these ethically compromised tactics turned the tide in that election, and set the stage for the wrecking ball now swinging in our halls of government. You could say Careless People is the story of how Facebook lost its conscience, and how the curious and impressionable young man at its helm grew to love the taste of power. The author weaves the story of Facebook’s role in the 2016 election with a number of other narratives, all revealing the same pattern showing how principled concerns were steamrolled by the relentless pursuit of growth, revenue, and influence. See also Cory Doctorow’s engaging review of this book, with its helpful explanation of why continued growth is so important to a company like Facebook. Her account reads like a slow-building tragedy, where you see exactly where the off-ramps were and watch, helplessly, as they pass by one by one: The Rohingya Genocide This is perhaps the most devastating section of the book. Wynn-Williams argues that Facebook failed to moderate hate speech against the Rohingya in Myanmar, and that the company only had two Burmese language moderators for the entire country. Facebook had also failed to invest in Burmese language support for its automated systems, meaning none of its moderation tools could even parse posts written in Burmese script. Because of these decisions, hate speech and misinformation designed to stoke ethnic and religious division spread like wildfire across the platform, and the genocide that followed is presented as a direct consequence of this reckless neglect. Censorship for China A chilling revelation for anyone who believes in free speech is Facebook’s willingness to compromise its own foundational values in pursuit of access to the Chinese market, which Zuckerberg seems to have perceived as a kind of final frontier and holy grail. Rather than standing firm on the principles of open communication it so publicly champions, Facebook secretly developed what was essentially a bespoke censorship tool designed to win over a Chinese government playing hard to get. If China had decided to allow Facebook through the Great Firewall, this system would have allowed Beijing to suppress content it found politically inconvenient, and would have extended into Hong Kong. One subnarrative in this thread is the lengths to which Zuckerberg went to court President Xi Jinping. He asks him (in Mandarin) to name his firstborn child (Xi declines), and the author includes an entertaining depiction of one-upmanship of Xi over Zuckerberg when the latter seeks unsuccessfully to arrange an impromptu meeting with Xi (since Xi had repeatedly rejected overt requests to meet). Sexual Harassment Culture For a company that spent years wrapping itself in the language of feminine empowerment and progressive values — most visibly through COO Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In” movement — the picture Wynn-Williams paints inside Facebook’s walls is a study in hypocrisy. The book alleges that sexual harassment by senior executives was not only tolerated but effectively shielded from consequences. Monetizing Teenage Insecurity Wynn-Williams reveals that Facebook identified teenage girls who had deleted selfies on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and then forwarded their data to companies who used it to target them with beauty products. Let that sink in for a moment. These were young girls navigating the minefield of adolescent insecurity, who made a conscious decision to take their photos down. And rather than respecting that decision, Facebook treated it as a data point to be monetized. Content Moderation as a Political Tool At the heart of this memoir is the question of how Facebook decides what speech is acceptable and what isn’t, both in the US and across the world. Facebook has spent years presenting its content moderation decisions as principled, values-driven calls — the careful work of a responsible company trying to balance free expression with public safety. However, the author shows, an internal policy established in February 2015 made the actual workings explicit: when governments requested that content be removed, Facebook would only comply if there was a credible threat to block the platform entirely in that particular country or a risk to its own employees. Numerous examples paint a picture of a company that was essentially making it up as it went along — complying with take-down requests when powerful enough governments (such as China) pushed hard enough, and ignoring everyone else.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Most of us have encountered, in one way or another, Facebook’s self-described “Community Standards,” which, the company states, “are written to ensure that everyone’s voice is valued.” “Facebook,” the language continues, “takes great care to craft policies that are inclusive of different views and beliefs- in particular those of people and communities that might otherwise be overlooked or marginalized.” However, the picture the author reveals in Careless People suggests that such language is mostly posturing. Zuckerberg’s Ego and Detachment One of the most fascinating and unsettling threads running through the book is the portrait Wynn-Williams paints of Mark Zuckerberg — a man who began as a socially awkward but genuinely curious young idealist and somewhere along the way became something different. One anecdote about Indonesia is comic in its brazenness: Zuckerberg allegedly demanded that Wynn-Williams organize an entirely staged, artificial mob of fans to “gently” swarm him in public, creating the illusion of organic, spontaneous popularity. His staff routinely let him win at board games on his private jet, and he remains oblivious to that fact until the author finally spells it out one day. After the 2016 election, when Obama dresses him down at the APEC summit in Peru about Facebook’s role in swinging the results, he becomes indignant, and instead of recognizing an opportunity for a course correction, he contemplates a run for president himself, instructing his staff to take him on a grassroots tour of the country that includes all the requisite stops for a presidential candidate. Throughout the book, we see a leader increasingly insulated from the consequences of his own decisions, surrounded by people too afraid or too incentivized to speak the truth to his face. What makes the author’s account of this man and his company compelling is that initially she believed in the mission. She was there because she thought Facebook could be a genuine force for good in the world–a way to connect people, a uniquely powerful democratizing force. In that sense she probably stands in for most of us who are here right now because we recognized these same qualities ten or fifteen years ago. But now we feel tremors beneath us and the ground shifting in unsettling ways as we post and scroll and message here. What is this platform becoming? What are our responsibilities to bear witness to that and to respond? I believe this book can help us answer those difficult questions. As a footnote, consider that when the book was published, Meta immediately filed an emergency legal action to prevent Wynn-Williams from publicly promoting it, citing a non-disparagement agreement she signed on leaving the company. The attempt backfired in the way these things tend to: the book reached number one on the New York Times best-seller list, and Wynn-Williams was invited to testify before the U.S. Senate. Meta’s attempts to disparage the author read as transparent and cynical in the face of the credibility she establishes throughout this book. And its efforts to limit her voice have only become additional evidence supporting the story she has told. If you’re looking for a book that explains how we got to the crazy, upside-down world we are living in now — politically, socially, technologically — Careless People is a great place to start.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2026
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Onyx Parrot
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
Great inside view of Facebook's corrupt behavior.
Format: Hardcover
I've always been creeped out by Facebook, and avoid all of their services. This book confirms the wisdom of this. The author is tough (literally surviving a shark attack as a teenager!) and smart. After getting a law degree in her native New Zealand, she climbs the ladder in a diplomacy career, working in New York and Washington DC. In the late 2000's she (idealistically) sees potential in Facebook as a global communications tool, and after aggressively pursuing a position there manages to land a job at Facebook's Washington DC office helping to manage their international affairs. Her work at Facebook starts off chaotic but hopeful. Her experience with international affairs as the company wakes up to their global opportunities lands her in the company's C-suites, escorting and introducing executives to world leaders as they expand their global influence. Things start to go off the rails when Facebook's leaders observe their large (and profitable!) political influence with the rise of Donald Trump. Observing this facility to use Facebook for promoting other leaders around the world (many corrupt), the original idealism goes out the window as Facebook cashes in on becoming a global propaganda and manipulation tool. Wynn-Williams had a front row seat to all of this, as well as some really ugly workplace behavior, left unchecked. She's a great storyteller. The book is well worth reading if you're curious about how the company (now "Meta") regards the world's attention it harvests for maximum profit. My only disappointment with the book is the Cambridge Analytica scandal is only mentioned in passing, even though it occurred during the author's tenure at the company. I'd be interested in her observations on it, even if she wasn't directly involved.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2026

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