The Technological Republic Audiobook By Alexander C. Karp, Nicholas W. Zamiska cover art

The Technological Republic

Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West

Preview

Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends April 30, 2025 at 11:59PM PT.
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Technological Republic

By: Alexander C. Karp, Nicholas W. Zamiska
Narrated by: Nicholas W. Zamiska
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo. after 3 months. Offer ends April 30, 2025 11:59PM PT. Cancel anytime.

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $18.00

Buy for $18.00

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A cri de coeur that takes aim at the tech industry for abandoning its history of helping America and its allies.”—The Wall Street Journal

From the Palantir co-founder, one of tech’s boldest thinkers and The Economist’s “best CEO of 2024,” and his deputy, a sweeping indictment of the West’s culture of complacency, arguing that timid leadership, intellectual fragility, and an unambitious view of technology’s potential in Silicon Valley have made the U.S. vulnerable in an era of mounting global threats.

“Not since Allan Bloom’s astonishingly successful 1987 book The Closing of the American Mind—more than one million copies sold—has there been a cultural critique as sweeping as Karp’s.”—George F. Will, The Washington Post

Silicon Valley has lost its way.

Our most brilliant engineering minds once collaborated with government to advance world-changing technologies. Their efforts secured the West’s dominant place in the geopolitical order. But that relationship has now eroded, with perilous repercussions.

Today, the market rewards shallow engagement with the potential of technology. Engineers and founders build photo-sharing apps and marketing algorithms, unwittingly becoming vessels for the ambitions of others. This complacency has spread into academia, politics, and the boardroom. The result? An entire generation for whom the narrow-minded pursuit of the demands of a late capitalist economy has become their calling.

In this groundbreaking treatise, Palantir co-founder and CEO Alexander C. Karp and Nicholas W. Zamiska offer a searing critique of our collective abandonment of ambition, arguing that in order for the U.S. and its allies to retain their global edge—and preserve the freedoms we take for granted—the software industry must renew its commitment to addressing our most urgent challenges, including the new arms race of artificial intelligence. The government, in turn, must embrace the most effective features of the engineering mindset that has propelled Silicon Valley’s success.

Above all, our leaders must reject intellectual fragility and preserve space for ideological confrontation. A willingness to risk the disapproval of the crowd, Karp and Zamiska contend, has everything to do with technological and economic outperformance.

At once iconoclastic and rigorous, this book will also lift the veil on Palantir and its broader political project from the inside, offering a passionate call for the West to wake up to our new reality.

©2025 Alexander C. Karp, Nicholas W. Zamiska (P)2025 Random House Audio
Geopolitics History History & Culture International Relations Politics & Government Public Policy Science & Technology

Critic reviews

The Technological Republic provides a fascinating, if at times disturbing, insight into the reassertion of US hard power.”Financial Times, “Best Books of the Week”

“Likely the only book by a business executive to feature three epigrams (one in German), citations from the Bible, Richard Linklater’s Before Sunset, and an outright attack on a market leader.”The Wall Street Journal

“Equal parts company lore, jeremiad, and homily . . . The primary target of The Technological Republic is not a nation that has failed Silicon Valley. It is more cogent and original as a story about how Silicon Valley has failed the nation.”The New Yorker

What listeners say about The Technological Republic

Highly rated for:

Thought-provoking Contribution Noble Societal Purpose Keen Intellectual Insights
Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    76
  • 4 Stars
    18
  • 3 Stars
    21
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    73
  • 4 Stars
    20
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    67
  • 4 Stars
    21
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    10
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant and thought provoking!

Alex Karp is a man of keen intellect, who in today’s world, has a unique view on the responsibility our best technology companies and brightest engineers have to our nation state. It is a view that is/was not very popular in the valley, but that does not stop Alex from meticulously making his case. His success in building Palantir on that very notion, has many waking up to the idea that service to our nation, might just be good business as well. Good for you Alex! Count me in as someone who greatly admires your work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Dr. Alex Karp is a trailblazer!

The future is ours if we seize the opportunity to lead unapologetically. The US tech industry used to be partners with the US government to stay on the cutting edge of technology. Somewhere within the last few decades, Silicon Valley betrayed the very government that allows them to enjoy the benefits of being in a capitalistic society.

In return the big tech companies focus their efforts and intellect on technology applications for consumers of frivolous social media platforms and applications instead of the future of global dominance in AI technology in all aspects of western society. If joint effort takes place, US tech and government can seize this opportunity to build and maintain AI supremacy.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Lacrimosa

My name is Ozymandias. Look upon my work and despair.

Important read for those who agree the flame of the west must be preserved.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Silicon Valley Lost its Way

Fascinating thought piece lamenting the focus of our greatest tech minds on solving little commercial problems while refusing to support America’s military - whose success is the foundation of Silicon Valley itself and whose continued success is a necessary condition for America’s future including the future of that part of America just south of San Francisco. Thought provoking book, a good contribution to our collective exploration of where we go next.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

My expectations were too high

Good book. Agreed with many of the perspectives. However, my admittedly high expectations of finding some novel perspective or overwhelmingly persuasive argument were let down.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very insightful!

Quick listen, excellent points and very straightforward and most of all insightful. Should be a mandatory listen for all college grads

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

nice review of a lot of not new material. informative and necessary and needed message

prefer more prescriptive detailed recommendations. More detail on what is working now. narration was good

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Insightful vision of the future!

His perspective on the past and the future we are moving into. Also how important engineers really are to guide us.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Eye opening

Couldn’t stop listening possibly one of the best books I have ever read. I hope they write a part two

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Enlightening

Perspective gained and appreciated - Alex and co- author had me enjoying the book so much I listened to it then bought the book for my library.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!