HOW TO RULE THE WORLD by Theo Baker (Audiobook)(Nonfiction)

HOW TO RULE THE WORLD by Theo Baker (Audiobook)(Nonfiction)

Author: Theo Baker; Narrator: Theo Baker

Full Title: How to Rule the World

Release Year: 2026

Length: 11h 31m

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography, Education & Learning, Personal Memoirs
Theo Baker's "How to Rule the World" is a revelatory and gripping account of Silicon Valley hubris and the culture of power at Stanford University. As a seventeen-year-old freshman, Baker arrived at Stanford expecting a paradise of innovation, but instead uncovered a pervasive culture of corner-cutting, excess, and a system that fast-tracked teenage prodigies into elite circles with little oversight. His investigation for the student newspaper exposed serious allegations of research misconduct tied to Stanford's president, Marc Tessier-Lavigne. The book chronicles Baker's journey, from receiving anonymous letters to conducting stakeouts, facing high-powered lawyers and PR teams hired to attack his reporting. This high-stakes investigation ultimately led to Tessier-Lavigne's resignation and earned Baker the prestigious George Polk Award, making him its youngest recipient. Beyond a coming-of-age story, the book offers an unprecedented inside view of the students being trained to rule the world and the lessons they learn from those already in power. It delves into how influence is built, protected, and quietly abused at the highest levels of elite institutions. Baker critiques the crony-capitalist, talent-scraping culture prevalent in Silicon Valley and Stanford's elite. This shocking, hilarious, and moving debut showcases Silicon Valley's training ground like never before, revealing an ambitious, amoral, and at times absurd truth.