Why people recommend it
The Contrarian by Max Chafkin is an investigative biography that explores the life, career, and controversial ideological influence of billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel. The book scrutinizes Thiel's political maneuvering, business ventures, and impact on modern media and technology. On Behind the Bastards in an episode detailing how Peter Thiel became the gravedigger of democracy, the host acknowledged Max Chafkin's book as a sizable and vital source for the research, while noting some minor disagreements with the author's perspectives despite praising Chafkin as a very good writer and biographer. Moreover, on The Daily Stoic during an episode featuring Chuck Klosterman, the discussion touched upon the complexities of writing about polarizing figures in contemporary media. Klosterman discussed his own writings regarding Peter Thiel and his high-profile lawsuit against Gawker, highlighting the inherent challenges and no-win propositions that writers face when scrutinizing powerful public figures, media ethics, and the contentious intersection of wealth, technology, and public accountability in modern society.
Who recommended it
- Robert Evans Discussed
Robert Evans — 1 mention
“Now, Teal's biographer, Max Chafkin, author of 'The Contrarian,' which is a book that will be a sizable source for this, although I do have some disagreement—I think Chafkin is a very good writer, a good biographer—there are a couple of areas where I disagree with him that we'll talk about here.”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“I think it truly is a no-win proposition; I wrote a book about Peter Thiel and his lawsuit against Gawker that scrutinized media.”