Don’t Burn Anyone at the Stake Today

I love Naomi Alderman’s writing: its warmth and intelligence. On every page she makes you think, think again and think better. Don’t Burn Anyone at the Stake Today is her mini masterpiece * John Crace *Naomi Alderman is one of our most surprising and delightful public intellectuals, and this book grapples wonderfully with our current schisms and their historical precedents * Jon Ronson *How fortunate we are to have Naomi Alderman as our companion in these confusing, challenging and dangerous times. Don’t Burn Anyone at the Stake Today is a serious — and also very funny — history of how we got to this point in the information revolution and a wise guide to navigating our way through it. Essential reading for the 21st century * Erica Wagner *Brisk, insightful, thought-provoking and powerfully empathetic: I started laughing and learning things on the first page and didn’t stop until I hit the last one. Don’t Burn Anyone at the Stake Today is the product of really deep thinking and a tremendously generous mind. It is the antidote to doom scrolling: a book that made me think in an entirely new way about the age we live in and which will make you excited about our era rather than merely terrified of it * Ian Dunt *The best book about the Internet I’ve ever read. Changed how I think about human history, the people I fight with on social media AND my own relationship with my phone, which is quite a lot for 150 pages * Jonn Elledge *You know how the best writers pinpoint something you’ve felt for ages but haven’t been able to articulate? This is like that. It’s so good. She should give Radio 4’s next Reith Lectures * Guardian *It’s a welcome appeal for nuance and thought in a world increasingly dominated by rapid responses, false assumptions and casual cruelties driven by fear. I loved it - it’s wise and compassionate, acknowledging that humans change, and make mistakes, and sometimes even grow beyond them * Joanne Harris *A beautifully written book that alerts us to the necessity of thinking about how we read, what we read and why we read - it will sharpen your perceptions and attach you to the world beyond the word. Keep it by your nearest screen * Robin Ince *Nobody who surveys today’s toxic internet can doubt that something is badly wrong. But now those of us who want to come through the information crisis wiser, better, and more deeply connected to other human beings have a trusted guide we can rely on * Bill Thompson *Original, witty and profound – Naomi Alderman’s broad historical perspective makes sense of our turbulent age with verve and wisdom * Rafael Behr *

Naomi Alderman holds degrees in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, Classical Studies, Creative Writing, and Classics. She is an award-winning novelist, broadcaster, TV producer, and videogames creator. Alderman has worked in technology startups for over 20 years, a period she now reflects on with a touch of embarrassment regarding her youthful utopianism about technology’s potential to improve the world.