Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup cover

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup

by John Carreyrou

Narrated by Will Damron

4.94 BLT Score
(323.1K ratings)
★ 4.4 Goodreads (283.7K) ★ 4.8 Audible (39.3K)

Why You'll Love This

The scariest part isn't the fraud — it's how long everyone who knew stayed quiet.

  • Great if you want: a real-life thriller about corporate deception and complicity
  • Listening experience: propulsive and tense — reads like investigative fiction, not reportage
  • Narration: Damron's measured, journalistic delivery keeps outrage from tipping into sensationalism
  • Skip if: you're burned out on Theranos — the story has been widely covered since

Listen to Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup on Audible →

About This Book

Silicon Valley's culture of disruption and fake-it-till-you-make-it mentality reaches its darkest extreme in this gripping investigation of Theranos, the blood-testing startup that promised to revolutionize healthcare. Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou chronicles how founder Elizabeth Holmes built a $9 billion empire on fabricated technology, misleading investors, regulators, and patients while silencing whistleblowers through intimidation and legal threats. The book reveals the dangerous intersection of unchecked ambition, venture capital excess, and medical fraud that put countless lives at risk.

Will Damron's narration transforms this complex corporate thriller into a compelling audio experience that feels more like a psychological drama than a business exposé. His measured delivery allows listeners to absorb the intricate web of deception while maintaining the story's momentum through dense technical details and legal maneuvering. Damron effectively conveys the gravity of Holmes's actions without sensationalizing them, letting the shocking facts speak for themselves. The audio format proves particularly effective for this investigative narrative, as Damron guides listeners through Carreyrou's methodical reporting process, making each revelation land with maximum impact.