August - How to Rule the World by Theo Baker

What happens when a 17-year-old freshman starts asking questions powerful people would rather he leave alone? 🤔
Theo Baker arrived at Stanford as a tech-obsessed teenage coder. Within months, he found himself entangled in a story involving anonymous letters, stakeouts, high-powered lawyers, and a university investigation that culminated in shaking Stanford and bringing down its president—all while he was still a teenager.
Now, he's sharing that experience in How to Rule the World—an explosive and sharply funny tale unveiling Stanford’s secret sphere of influence, where venture capitalists court undergraduates, founders gain celebrity status, and select students are groomed for exceptional power. 🔍

A very local story with global stakes.

☕ 1:30–1:45 PM — Settle in, grab a drink
📖 1:45–4:00 PM — Moderated group discussion
We’ll dive into:

• The Stanford Within Stanford — Is this extraordinary talent cultivation, or an elite pipeline into power?
• Innovation vs. Integrity — Do the incentives that yield breakthroughs also encourage shortcuts, hype, and fraud?
• “The Plucked” — What happens when investors decide which teenagers look like future rulers?
• One Student vs. an Institution — How student journalism challenged one of America’s most powerful universities.
• What Is College For? — Education, exploration, credentialing, startup incubation—or status?
• The Bay Area Mirror — Is Stanford an outlier, or a concentrated version of our surrounding culture?
  🛠 How Our Book Club Works
• Read the book—or try the audiobook, interviews, or excerpts below.
• Didn’t finish? No problem! Curiosity matters more than completeness.
• First-timers are welcome. Bring a friend!
  💳 Why $10?
  The hardcover is capped at 10 to keep the conversation intimate. Your $10 Community Seat reserves your spot and helps cover the room and recurring expenses. The book and any food or drinks are separate. If cost is a barrier, please message the host—we reserve one community-access seat each month.
  🎬 Haven’t started the book? Start here:
• PBS NewsHour interview: Watch Here
• Carnegie Endowment podcast: Listen Here
• Baker’s original Stanford Daily investigation: Read More
• Full Booknotes+ conversation with Theo Baker will be shared in discussion!
• Book, ebook, and author-narrated audiobook: Explore Here