Explore the hidden culture and moral landscape of elite education and its connection to Silicon Valley in this searing journalistic debut by Theo Baker. Arriving at Stanford University, Baker anticipated a tech haven, but instead uncovered a strange, money-soaked subculture of excess and ambition among the students expected to build billion-dollar companies.

This book details Baker's freshman year investigation into the crony-capitalist environment, documenting a culture where getting ahead often meant cutting corners. His reporting for the student newspaper led him to investigate the university's president, revealing two decades of unreported research misconduct allegations.

• A critique of the talent-scraping culture prevalent among Stanford elites.
• Investigation into the 'Stanford inside Stanford'—a subculture of extreme access and excess.
• Journalistic account of uncovering high-level institutional secrets, including research misconduct allegations against the university president.

• Author: Theo Baker
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Print Length: 336 pages
• Publication Date: May 19, 2026
• ISBN-10: 024173391X
• ISBN-13: 978-0241733912
• Dimensions: 16.4 x 3.2 x 24.3 cm
• Weight: 500 g

Perfect for readers interested in education studies, the mechanics of Silicon Valley, and investigative journalism, How to Rule the World offers an unflinching look behind the scenes of one of the world's most influential institutions.