About this ebook
Stories of the dot-com boom—from everyone but the techies. “A raw look into the lives of residents bearing the brunt of gentrification.” —HuffPost
No shuttle buses here: De-Bug, a new collection of true stories from the social justice organization of the same name, shows a side of working in Silicon Valley that you won’t read about in the business section. As tech moguls land the cover of Forbes, the South Bay’s working class is making ends meet as metal scrappers, factory workers, club bouncers, hairstylists, rickshaw drivers, ice cream cart pushers. The stories in De-Bug are poignant, often very funny accounts of bootstrapping in the land of angel investors and thought leaders. A construction worker predicts which of his customers are about to strike it rich and which are on the edge of bankruptcy based on the states of their swimming pools. A “secondhand hustler” travels the garage sale-flea market circuit in search of treasures to resell online. A temp worker at a medical device manufacturer sells his blood, at the company’s request, to test the equipment. These storytellers are frank when discussing their own flaws, but are equally up-front about the rigged system in which they operate.
Disruptive in the truest sense of the word, De-Bug offers valuable insight into California’s latest boomtown.
“Silicon Valley’s less-noticed denizens show an unexpected knack for grace, wit, and survival.” —Kentaro Toyama, author of Geek Heresy
“If you truly want to know Silicon Valley, in all of its complexity, then De-Bug is a must-read.” —Tomás Jiménez, associate professor of sociology, Stanford University
No shuttle buses here: De-Bug, a new collection of true stories from the social justice organization of the same name, shows a side of working in Silicon Valley that you won’t read about in the business section. As tech moguls land the cover of Forbes, the South Bay’s working class is making ends meet as metal scrappers, factory workers, club bouncers, hairstylists, rickshaw drivers, ice cream cart pushers. The stories in De-Bug are poignant, often very funny accounts of bootstrapping in the land of angel investors and thought leaders. A construction worker predicts which of his customers are about to strike it rich and which are on the edge of bankruptcy based on the states of their swimming pools. A “secondhand hustler” travels the garage sale-flea market circuit in search of treasures to resell online. A temp worker at a medical device manufacturer sells his blood, at the company’s request, to test the equipment. These storytellers are frank when discussing their own flaws, but are equally up-front about the rigged system in which they operate.
Disruptive in the truest sense of the word, De-Bug offers valuable insight into California’s latest boomtown.
“Silicon Valley’s less-noticed denizens show an unexpected knack for grace, wit, and survival.” —Kentaro Toyama, author of Geek Heresy
“If you truly want to know Silicon Valley, in all of its complexity, then De-Bug is a must-read.” —Tomás Jiménez, associate professor of sociology, Stanford University
About the author
Raj Jayadev is the cofounder of Silicon Valley De-Bug. His community organizing and writings about Silicon Valley have been featured in The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, a PBS-aired documentary, and media outlets across the country. For his work lifting up personal experiences to impact public discourse around social, economic, and political issues, Jayadev has received numerous awards, including the Ashoka Fellowship. He lives in San Jose, California, with his wife and son.
Jean Melesaine is a Samoan American documentary writer-photographer based out of Oakland, California. Working with Silicon Valley De-Bug for over ten years, she was taught conscious photography from community members as a teenager. Her parents are from the villages of Moamoa and Faleali’li in Western Samoa. Jean’s photography and writings have been featured in places such as the Oakland Museum of California, and have earned a number of awards including the Tautai Arts Trust, an international residency for artists and writers.
Jean Melesaine is a Samoan American documentary writer-photographer based out of Oakland, California. Working with Silicon Valley De-Bug for over ten years, she was taught conscious photography from community members as a teenager. Her parents are from the villages of Moamoa and Faleali’li in Western Samoa. Jean’s photography and writings have been featured in places such as the Oakland Museum of California, and have earned a number of awards including the Tautai Arts Trust, an international residency for artists and writers.
Rate this ebook
Tell us what you think.
Reading information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
eReaders and other devices
To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.
