The Philosopher in the Valley: Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State
Language: English
Published by Avid Reader Pr, 2026
- Hardcover
- New
Seller: Revaluation Books, Exeter, United KingdomRevaluation Books
AbeBooks seller since January 6, 2003
Condition: New
£ 38.04
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
320 pages. 9.01x6.01x0.83 inches. In Stock.
Seller Inventory # 1668012952
- Title
- The Philosopher in the Valley: Alex Karp, Palantir, and the Rise of the Surveillance State
- Author
- Steinberger, Michael
- Publisher
- Avid Reader Pr
- Publication year
- 2026
- Condition
- Brand New
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 1668012952
- ISBN 13
- 9781668012956
- Item weight
- 0.51 kilograms
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.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Revaluation Books
Exeter, United Kingdom
AbeBooks seller since January 6, 2003
Shipping rates from United Kingdom to U.S.A.
| Item | 7 to 14 business days | 2 to 3 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 12.50 | £ 25.00 |
Payment methods
Seller's business information
Edward Bowditch Ltd
Exstowe, Exton
Exeter, United Kingdom EX3 0PP
Terms of sale
Legal entity name: Edward Bowditch Ltd
Legal entity form: Limited company
Business correspondence address: Exstowe, Exton, Exeter, EX3 0PP
Company registration number: 04916632
VAT registration: GB834241546
Authorised representative: Mr. E. Bowditch
Right of withdrawal
If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.
Information regarding the right of withdrawal
Statutory right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.
We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Revaluation Books, Hounslow, United Kingdom, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
The right of withdrawal does not apply to:
- The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
- The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.
Shipping terms
Orders usually dispatched within two working days.