Down and Out in Silicon Valley

Contends that Silicon Valley is more than just the name of a geographical area, it is the name for a psychological obsession found where people believe that instant fame and fortune can be gained through silicon chips and Web sites. This work reveals that the obsession nourishes itself on an illusion of power and instant gratification.

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Leaving their families, their friends, and the lives they had known behind, thousands of young information technologists flocked to northern California in the 1980s and 1990s to live the Silicon Valley dream of overnight wealth and power. What they didn't know was that the Silicon Valley dream is really just the American Dream gone ballistic, a place where money and power are the only things that matter in life. In this enlightening critique, counsellors Mel and Pat Krantzler contend that Silicon Valley is more than just the name of a geographical area, it is the name for a psychological obsession found anywhere people believe that instant fame and fortune can be gained through silicon chips and Web sites. Building on this foundation, they reveal that the obsession nourishes itself on an illusion of power and instant gratification. And like heroin and cocaine, it is highly addictive, promising total happiness, but often ending in disarray and despair, leaving even wealthy and successful individuals feeling "down and out." The first book of its kind, this book is as up-to-date as today's headlines.