Malcolm Harris’s latest book, Palo Alto: A History of California, Capitalism, and The World, presents a staggering exploration of the historical forces that shaped the technological mecca of Silicon Valley, while examining both the global and generational repercussions that reverberate from his once-modest hometown. In the text, Harris is approachable, yet unrelenting. His subjects are as inspiring as they are insidious. The depth of his research unveils plentiful connective tissues between capitalism and exploitation, agriculture and organizing, start-ups and psychedelics, as well as the communists and labor leaders that attempted to subvert the malevolence of the ruling class.
