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The Technological Republic

The Sunday Times bestseller from the great minds behind Palantir

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Brought to you by Penguin.

The Sunday Times and #1 New York Times Bestseller

Silicon Valley’s brightest minds once collaborated with governments to advance technologies, securing the West’s dominance on the global stage. But that relationship has corroded – with perilous repercussions for us all.

Lifting the veil on tech giant Palantir and its broader political project, visionary co-founder and CEO Alexander C. Karp and his long-time deputy Nicholas W. Zamiska offer a searing critique of our collective culture of complacency. To regain geopolitical power and preserve our freedoms, we must tackle the world’s most pressing challenges – including the artificial intelligence arms race – together and head-on. Now is the time for the West to wake up.

‘The Technological Republic is far too important to ignore’ Times Literary Supplement

‘Bold and ambitious … Essential reading’ Eric Schmidt

‘Fascinating’ Financial Times

‘A stirring manifesto’ Niall Ferguson

‘Provocative and insightful’ Jamie Dimon

©2025 Alexander C. Karp, Nicholas W. Zamiska (P)2025 Penguin Audio

 Computer Science History & Culture Machine Theory & Artificial Intelligence Politics & Government Technology & Society Technology Inspiring Socialism Software Capitalism

Critic reviews

The wizards of America’s digital revolution have produced many shiny consumer products and apps. But they have often remained aloof from engaging in a sense of national purpose or common good. This book is a rallying cry, as we enter the age of artificial intelligence, for a return to the World War II era of cooperation between the technology industry and government in order to pursue innovation that will advance our national welfare and democratic goals. A fascinating and important work (Walter Isaacson)
[The Technological Republic] help[s] explain the sudden and extraordinary change of worldview that has seized much of the US tech elite… a fascinating, if at times disturbing, insight into the reassertion of US hard power
A cri de coeur that takes aim at the tech industry for abandoning its history of helping America and its allies... Likely the only book by a business executive to feature three epigrams (one in German), citations from the Bible, Richard Linklater's Before Sunset, and an outright attack on a market leader
Not since Allan Bloom’s astonishingly successful 1987 book The Closing of the American Mind — more than 1 million copies sold — has there been a cultural critique as sweeping as Karp’s
Equal parts company lore, jeremiad, and homily... The primary target of The Technological Republic is not a nation that has failed Silicon Valley. It is more cogent and original as a story about how Silicon Valley has failed the nation
As clear and bracing as reveille... with engaging storytelling... Whether or not Americans can agree on how and why to defend the country, Karp and Zamiska make a stirring call for the tech industry to follow Palantir's path and get involved with the effort
A bold and ambitious work, The Technological Republic reminds us of a time when technological progress answered a national calling. It is essential reading in the age of AI, as the direction of Silicon Valley will help define the future of American leadership in the world
In today's complicated geopolitical, technological, and economic environment, the author's ability to be both well spoken and outspoken in The Technological Republic can help us understand important issues about the future prosperity of the United States and its allies. The book is by turns provocative and insightful, and Alex Karp's resilience, patriotism, and depth of experience in our rapidly changing world provide instructive lessons and intellectual arguments for all of us to consider
All stars
Most relevant
An insightful journey into the American project how it started how it fell and how Silicon Valley with both flawed and virtuous is trying redefine American identity.

It was just great

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The most important company and the most important CEO. The is everything Dr Karp has been saying for the last few years. Amit and Arny T and Emir and Dom and Matt will love it too.

The future of the world in the hands of one super important company

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Alex Karp is a clever man who talks a lot of sense about politically ‘awkward’ topics. In The Technological Republic, he spotlights some of Capitalism’s systemic failings. By incentivising our best and brightest to build addictive, digital time-suckery rather than meaningful science that advances mankind. And he makes an irrefutably case for the West to build leadership in AI powered warfare before we are obliterated by the belligerent Russians or the rising Chinese. A well-framed, timely book packed with compelling ideas.

A guide back to sanity

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The underlying message of the book is sound enough however I had to focus hard to maintain attention (I often defied) due to the mundane and monotone narration - what happened to emphasis, pause, speed changes etc? I found it very hard going but I got there in the end - phew. Note to self: don’t buy another audio book before sampling the narration style.

Monotone diminishes the experience

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It gave me a better understanding of the man leading such a successful company. One of the best books I’ve ever read.

Inspiring

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